CONTRACTORS — 


HANDY BOOK 


—on everyday 
concrete jobs — 











THIS COPY @imiaac 
CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 
IS THE 
PERSONAL PROPERTY OF 


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The Franklin Institute 





PRESENTED (ALD eae : 
REQUEST OF - 


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WITH THE COMPLIMENTS - | 
OFeT ihe 


LEHIGH PORTLAND 


| ba CEMENT COMPANY | 








OCT 23°25 


Franklin Institute Library 


PHILADELPHIA 


Pig eee 72a es er 
eer 


Accession ~o22.2.3. 6 
REFERENCE 


GIVEN BY 


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CONTRACTORS 
HANDY BOOK 


—on everyday 
concrete jobs 


LEHIGH PORTLAND 
CEMENT COMPANY 





LEHIGH PORTLAND 
CEMENT COMPANY 


Offices 
ALLENTOWN, PA. CHICAGO, ILL. 
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. SPOKANE, WASH. 

New York, N.Y. _ _ Richmierd, Va... , Kansas City, Mo. °° 
Boston, Mas. * ‘New Castle, Pa. § ‘ ““Ciniaha, Neb. e% 
Baffulo,  ¥.¢ * ¢, Pittsufgh, Pas =o cee <Masori City, Iowa : 

Philadelphia, Pa. Cleveland, O. Minneapolis, Minn. 

Wey is Mills. ati 
West Coplay, Pa. Birmingham, Ala. 
Chapman, Pa. Mitchell, Ind. (2 mills) 
Ormrod, Pa. (3 mills) Oglesby, IIl. 
Sandt’s Eddy, Pa. Mason City, Iowa 
New Castle, Pa. (3 mills) Iola, Kansas 
Fordwick, Va. Metaline Falls, Wash. 
Alsen, N. Y. Bath, Pa. 


CopyrRiGuHt, 1925, By 
LEHIGH PORTLAND CEMENT COMPANY 
ALLENTOWN, PA. 


Second Edition 


WabeE OF CONTENTS 


PLANS AND MATERIALS FOR 


PAGE 
ee eG kl cue b ade. ee 
CDT SSG a rr 36-38 

Prey swan Cotter, 3. or. a ly oe dale. 39 
Bearer a ME ey ooe lh. 32 
Poa, ea ya) ie er a 11 

ORS SN 28 

Reet ee ene ee os ons Oa: 60 
CB ata 2 5 eg ee err rr rr 28 
ee I oer A ee A eee os 19-27 
epee ee ore ond Curbs 2. ss os vel es ok 39 

Gai Soe) U6 Es a a a 4 

PSG. a rn 36 
ST ST eT 65 
Br col Be one nk 63 
WEES EEINS | phe i 71 
eb Sse Se ILO Cy oy On rc rr 13-18 
Pe ee en n,n ks Cad a howe 75 
[ECS cobl delat age: (oe oo Sa ore eee ace 41 
“SES LSU Ne eae le er ee ee 42 
RM ty ee eS eo) oes eae 36 
oie, LETTE RSE 0 a rr cw 2 

ISIE, > Uh dee aoe er a a he Pe fe 6 

Std eee errs a Ola. Oe 4 
LCS OE CEES 0s Rg Or to ern ee 54 
eee AC ee ys. ee oa 9 

Sarre ers Be es le ee 6-7 
UO EASES, SIGE Te 0 SS a 68 

RM reer e OU atten Soin bac) oe eo cg eh oe Pee 47 
_ NoTEs on 
a ee 87-105 
EOC er Re es Se he eon OME A 83 
ETE eGR MELT ae SOOO) ae ee ae a OC 81-82 
OCA OTRE TORS TOL CS WG i a nr ee a eae 108 
TABLES AND DATA 
Mbens ands Weights of Steel Bars. ... 2 ...<00.<r. 0. .<, 108 
Des iigeGa pacity Of 5011S o.... S or) ed ae ie, 82 


Board Feet in Lumber. 2. 0. -is5 520 ©: eee 86 
Colorimetric’Test. 0 °%...t.2 6.54 100-101 
Materials Required for 1 Cubic Yard of Concrete...... 107 
Proportions for:Concrete. . 2... 7 ee 106 
Sand, Coarse... 600. ec ne be 103 

Fine.) os 0) oo. see os oo DE er 105 

Medtuni 32 sac 2c eee ithe anie Se 104 
Silt Test. ccs. ake bo Ls aon acl Rear 102 
Volume of Concrete. . «2... 5. oe ee 99 
Weights of Aggregates .. .....) 55 ope 98 
Weights of Building Materials..°.-0 3232 3s Lit 
Weights of Masonry.:: 1.2.7.2. 2, eens 109 


Weights of Material... .. ... 2.55 eee 109-110 


PeshP ACE 


HE publication of this book is the result of a 
realization, gained through our nation-wide con- 
tact with contractors, of the need for information 
that will assist in securing permanent satisfaction in 
concrete construction through the combination of 
dependable materials with competent workmanship. 
We trust that contractors will find within these 
covers many helpful ideas and suggestions which will 
be a real aid in solving the simple problems connected 
with small jobs in concrete construction. This is 
not a technical book, filled with scientific data, but 
is devoted exclusively to presenting practical infor- 
mation for every-day reference. 

From these actual examples of good design and 
proper execution, contractors should be better able 
to demonstrate to customers the superiority of 
concrete construction with particular reference to its 
permanence, beauty and economy. 

The rapid and substantial growth of this company 
is due in a great measure to the loyal patronage and 
confidence of contractors throughout the country. 
To merit this confidence always is our incentive for 
continuing to produce cement of the highest quality 
and uniformity. Also our 19 mills—from coast to 
coast— assure prompt delivery service to contractors 
in any part of the country. 

Where perplexing problems are encountered which 
require advice, we welcome the opportunity to be of 
further service, and solicit such inquiries. 

All information given has been carefully compiled 
and it is presented without guarantee or other 
obligation. 

LEHIGH PORTLAND CEMENT COMPANY 


2 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 





Concrete Steps 


ONCRETE steps are attractive and permanent. 
Being in contact with the moisture in the soil, 
steps should be constructed of a material that will 
not rot and decay, thus avoiding the necessity of 
periodical replacement. 


Method 


Tongued and grooved form lumber is preferable, as 
it makes a much tighter and smoother job. Forms 
should be entirely built and the cinders or gravel well 
soaked and packed in place before placing the con- 
crete. In the two walls leave the short top boards 
out until the concrete work is started, they being set 
in placeoneat a time as theconcrete rises, thus making 
it possible to spade the concrete well and eliminate 
the possibility of air holes or rock pocketsin the surface. 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 3 


The concrete should be mixed in proportions of 
1:214:4, being 1 part of portland cement, 21% parts of 
sand, and 4 parts of stone or gravel graded in size 
from 14 inch to 1% inches. It should be machine 
mixed if possible and water used sparingly. Place 
it all in one operation. This makes a monolithic 
structure and all joints are eliminated. The treads 
should be finished rough with a wood float, to make 
a safe, non-skid wearing surface. Special colored 
aggregates or bits of abrasive stone can be troweled 
into the wearing surface as .an added precaution 
against slipping. After the forms are removed all 
exposed surface should be tooled or rubbed with an 
abrasive stone which will remove the laitance and ° 
all traces of form lines. This treatment will give the 
completed work a very pleasing appearance. 


Materials 


67 cu. ft. of concrete 

Mixture, 1:214:4 
MCTISHACeIel G8 9c ee... 
Sand, 14 inch and under...... 
Stone, 4 inch to 2inches...... 


CROSS SECTION OF STEPS 
SHOWING FORM CONSTRUCTION 
Use 2 «4 studs - spaced /8 0C 
Use! «6 lumber SISIE 
Use 2x8 /umber SIS/E (or r1S€rs 
Chomter corners of wal! 















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Cross-section of steps 


4 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 








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Small Steps 


HESE very unpretentious steps proved a most 

economical way of solving the owner’s problem. 
Simple in construction and very low in cost, they 
serve as satisfactorily in every way as would a much 
more ornate and expensive type. 

They are rigid and permanent, neat and pleasing 
in appearance. The gritty, non-skid texture of the 
finished concrete provides the safest possible surface 
for walking, and permits entrance without the neces- 
sity of crossing a wet and muddy lawn or walk. 

The down spout runoff provides a solution to the 
rain water problem in localities where there are no 
sewage facilities. This is very quickly and easily 
built and will last indefinitely. 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 5 





Method 


Concrete for the walk and steps should be mixed 
in proportions of 1:214:4, being 1 part of portland 
cement, 214 parts of sand, and 4 parts of stone or 
gravel graded in size from Yj inch to 1 inch. Mix 
the concrete as dry as possible to permit a workable 
mixture. Construction joints should be provided 
every six feet in both down spout runoff and side- 
walk. 

The top step should be pitched slightly toward the 
street, to insure a dry step and walk in all weather. 
The surface should be finished with a wood float. 

The concrete for the down spout runoff is mixed 
very stiff, and in proportions of 1:2:3, using one 
inch stone. This makes it possible to trowel the 
depression with a steel float and form a smooth 
waterproof trough. 


Steps Walk D eh: 
Weugtlitencer ccc ets s. as shown 24’ 0” Z0eUs 
Concrete me neers oii. 1O-cONtt, 24 cu. ft. Soran. ths 
Wise Cent, one e 1:21%:4 1:21%:4 1253 
Lehigh Cement.......| 2 sacks 5 sacks 3 sacks 
Sand, 44” and under ..| % cu. yd..| cu. yd.| 4 cu. yd. 
Stones, fon)... Percurnyd.| 94 cu.ryd. | 22 cu.vyd. 







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NAT Te 
‘ uN] 


SECTION 
DOWN SPouT RUNOFF 
Details of construction for small steps 





CROSS SECTION ON & ELEVATION 


6 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 





Walk and Steps through 
Terraced Lawn 


HE possibilities of concrete in the improvement 
of suburban property are ably demonstrated in 
this picture. A little thoughtful planning will work 
wonders on the most modest of estates. First im- 
pressions are usually lasting, and concrete plays a 
considerable part in making first impressions favor- 


able. 


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4 


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ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 





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8 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


In addition to its beauty and attractiveness, con- 
sider its durability, permanence, and low upkeep. 


Method 

The steps must be separated from the walks by 
expansion joints 44 inch thick; due to the difference 
in thickness, cracks will develop unless these are 
installed. All dimensions for the setting of forms 
should be taken from a stake set at the center of the 
circle, being 24 feet from the outside edge of the 
sidewalk and 20 feet from the inside. 

The concrete should be mixed in proportions of 
1:214:4, being 1 part of portland cement, 244 parts 
of sand, and 4 parts of gravel or stone graded in size 
from 14 inch to 14% inches. 

In scoring the pavement into slabs every four feet, 
as shown in the sketch, stretch a line from the center 
stake and take the four-foot measurement on the 
inside line of the walk. 

Finishing is done with a wood float only, which pro- 
vides a gritty, non-skid surface, and the completed 
work should be properly cured for at least a week. 


Materials 
12 {tof walk 
22 cu. ft. of concrete 
Mixture, 1:214:4 


Lehigh Cement): 73. sane 41% sacks 
Sand, 14 inch and under...... zy cu. yd. 


Stone, 14 inch to 14% inches... 74 cu. yd. 
Steps up, 3 treads 


29 cu. ft. of concrete 
Mixture, 1:214:4 


Lehigh Cement! .23 eee 6 sacks 
Sand, 14 inch and under...... 3 cu. yd. 


Gravel, 14 inch to 1% inches. .;’5 cu. yd. 


pag Ps, 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 9 





Service Sidewalk 


CONCRETE service sidewalk provides easy 

access to the rear of the house, and keeps dirt 

and dust out even in the most inclement weather. It 

is the best possible insurance against accidents— 

people don’t often slip or trip on the gritty, non-skid 
surface of a concrete walk. 


Method 


The concrete should be mixed in proportions of 
1:21%:4, being 1 part of portland cement, 21% parts 
of sand, and 4 parts of gravel or stone graded in size 
from 14 inch to 1% inches. 

Construction joints should be spaced six feet apart 
and an expansion joint provided every twenty-four 
feet; the surface should be finished with a wood float 


10 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 








only, and should be kept wet for six days to properly 
cure the sidewalk. 


Materials 


24 feet of sidewalk 
24 cu. ft. of concrete 
Mixture, 1:214:4 


Lehigh Cement. eee ee 8152 
Sand, 14 inch and under...... Yo cu. yd. 
Stone, ly inch to 1% inches.....34 cu. yd. 







a: O a 23 » { SRE ” 
AUR, 2e/4 COVCRETE | 





Cross-section of sidewalk 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 11 





Porch Floor 
Geese will provide a clean, sanitary surface 
for a porch floor. It is quickly and thoroughly 
cleaned with a hose without possibility of rot or 
deterioration. It presents a smooth, even, non-skid 
surface, and will not be the cause of constant repairs 
in years to come. 


Method 

The wall forms are first poured, using a mixture of 
1:214:4, being 1 part of portland cement, 2% parts of 
sand, and 4 parts of stone or gravel graded in size 
from 14 inch to 2 inches. 

The floor form is then set rigidly in position and 
the reinforcing bars are placed either in “chairs” 
which raise them about an inch above the bottom of 


12 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


the slab or else they are raised by placing shovelfuls 
of concrete under them. They should be carefully 
spaced properly to carry the load. 

The concrete for the floor slab should be mixed in 
proportion of 1:2:3, being 1 part portland cement, 
2 parts of sand, and 3 parts of stone or gravel, graded 
in size from 14 inch to 1 inch. It should be mixed 
with as little water as possible and the surface should 
be finished with a steel float. It may be divided into 
squares of any desired dimension. The floor should 
be properly cured for at least a week before being 
used, and the supporting floor form should not be 
removed for at least three weeks. 


Materials 


Walls, 3 feet deep by 8 inches wide 
Concrete, 90 cu. ft. 
Mixture, 1:214:4 


Lehigh: Cement .9 33g ee 18 sacks 
Sand, 4 inch and under... 134 cu. yds. 


Stone, 14 inch to 2 inches.... 234 cu. yds. 
Floor, 10 feet x 17 feet x 4 inches 
Concrete, 562% cu. ft. 
Mixture .t.273 


Lehigh Cement.) 32 sue 14 sacks 
Sand, 14 inch and under..... i~> cu. yds. 
Stone, 14 inch to. (neiyeeee 13 cu. yds. 


$°x16-0" ¢ Bars 83 choc 


2" ” 
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; Ee ae + Ns 
4%x%g 4-0 OC . 


WON i: 


Cross-section of porch floor 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 13 





Parapet and Retaining Wall 


HE use of concrete has in this case proved the 
simplest means of arranging the grounds in an 
attractive manner and makes easy the maintenance 
of the property. The retaining wall brings the lawn 
to a level where it is easily trimmed, and the precast 
concrete urn at the corner adds a great deal to the 
appearance of the property. 
This wall, built at reasonable cost, will last in- 
definitely. It will require no yearly outlay for re- 
pairs, it will not crack, rot, or deteriorate, but will 


strengthen with age. 
Method 


Forms for the wall and post forms must be very 
carefully set for line and plumb—any deviation will 
be very noticeable in the finished work. At intervals 
along the wall drain tile should be provided to carry 
off ground water which will settle behind the wall and 
perhaps do some damage if not removed. It isa good 


14 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


plan to run a line of tile along the inside wall leading 
into these offtakes, thereby insuring, at little cost, 
against injury to the wall. Forms should be of 
tongued and grooved spruce, if possible, to prevent 
leakage and the resulting rock pockets in the con- 
crete. 

In a wall of the height shown in this illustration 
steel reinforcement will not be needed. Higher walls, 
however, should be designed by a competent engineer 
who will place the steel rods to assist the concrete to 
carry the immense load bearing upon it. 

Concrete for the wall proper should be mixed in 
proportions of 1:21%:4, being 1 part portland cement, 
21% parts of sand, and 4 parts of stone or gravel, 
graded in size from 14 inch to 1% inches. It should 
be placed in layers of about six inches and well spaded 
to insure consolidation of aggregates. 






Precast Cap 
6-0" 















il 


N 


Sidewalk fine Fi Ms 


~ 


5S Drain eS 









Details of wall 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 15 


When the wall has been poured to the proper 
height, dowels should be placed upon which the pre- 
cast cap will later be set. A long dowel must be set 
in the corner post in order to anchor the precast urn 
in place. 

Forms should not be removed for at least three 
days, at which time the surface of the concrete may 
be rubbed with an abrasive stone if it is proposed to 
apply no decorative coat. This will remove the 
form marks. 

In the sketch on the opposite page a form is shown 
for making the precast cap; however, better results 
will probably be obtained if the work is given to the 
local concrete products manufacturer, who is expert 
in the making of such things. This cap should be 
made of concrete mixed in proportions of 1:2:3, 
which is 1 part portland cement, 2 parts of sand, 
and 3 parts of gravel or stone, and reinforced with 
three steel rods 38 inch in diameter, spaced evenly 
across the base of the cap, one inch up from the base, 
and running lengthwise. These will serve to bridge 
over any inequalities in the wall and successfully re- 
sist any normal strain that they may be subjected to. 

When placing the cap on the wall it should be set 
over dowels previously anchored into the wall con- 
crete, and bonded to the wall by a layer of 1:3 
portland cement mortar, which is 1 part portland 
cement to 3 parts of sand. 

The precast concrete urn or flower-pot may be pur- 
chased from most concrete products manufacturers 
ready to set in place. These are deservedly popular 
because of their attractive appearance and perma- 
nence. 


16 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 





Materials 
50 feet of wall 
Mixture, 1:214:4 
Concrete, 167 cu. ft. 


Lehigh Cementy. 02. sees 33 sacks 
Sand, 4 inch and under..... 34 cu. yds. 
Stone, 14 inch to %inch..... SiCiie yas 


One 6-foot precast cap 
Mixture, 1:2:3 
Concrete, 2 cu. ft. 


Lehigh’ Cement. |: /. 3.2 2 sack 
Sand, 4 inch and under....... gp cu. yd. 
Stone, 14 inch to 34 inch.......45 cu. yd. 





A paneled parapet 


A very attractive parapet can be made by using 
a single course of red concrete brick as a panel. 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 17 





Low Lawn Parapet 


HE use of a concrete parapet wall adds greatly to 

the appearance of a lawn and eliminates the 
necessity of a terrace, which is so difficult to care for 
and which is constantly walked on by passing pedes- 
trians. A low wall, even though it is a simple matter 
to step over it, serves as a real barrier and assists 
greatly in keeping the lawn from being trampled 
upon. 

Method 

Forms should be very carefully lined and braced, as 
any weaving or deviation will be very noticeable in 
the finished work. End posts should be poured 
monolithic with the parapet. 

The concrete should be mixed in proportions of 
1:214:4, being 1 part portland cement, 21% parts of 
sand, and 4 parts of stone or gravel graded in size 
from 14 inch to 1% inches. The forms should be 


18 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


filled in layers of about six inches each, and when the 
top of the straight wall is reached, a batch of very 
stiff or dry concrete is used to shape the peak, 
as shown in the picture on the preceding page; a 
string stretched the length of the form will serve as a 
guide while this finishing is being done. 

Upon removal of forms the surface can be rubbed 
and this will remove the rough edges at the top. 
Troweling is not recommended, as it will invariably 
bring too much cement to the surface and upon 
hardening a thin skin coat will form and later craze 
or crack. 








Materials 
Mixture 1:24:4 a0 ah iia Ne fe 
Cubic feetiof concrete . 4 si. eee 92 1 
sacks of Lehigh*Cement,.24).3- ame 1814 sacks Yo sack | 
Sand,.44 inch and under: j-ce eee 134 cu. yds. | #5 cu. yd. 
Stone, 4% inch to 14% inches........ 234 cu. yds. | ;'5 cu. yd. 

















3 





\ yi eee 
Inside Ground Lineg\ 
Outside Ground a | ; 


OIL COUN FM OT EB RN FI IIIA OE 
de . 


Small retaining wall 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 19 








Garage Entrance 


ADE of materials that will resist the action of 

the elements and improve with age. Once 

built, it stands ready for constant service with no 
further expense for upkeep or maintenance. 


Method 
The forms being set, concrete mixed in propor- 
tions of 1:214:4, being 1 part of portland cement, 214 
parts of sand, and 4 parts of stone or gravel, graded 


20 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


in size from 14 inch to 1% inches, is placed. In 
depositing concrete on grades, such as shown in the 
picture, it is best to start from the lower end; by so 
doing there is not the possibility of hollow spots de- 
veloping, aswould be thecasestartingat the up-hillend. 

A straight screed is used on the top of the side 
forms, to bring the concrete to the proper level, and 
later it is finished with a wood float only. Expansion 
joints of asphaltic material should be used every 30 
feet, and in any case against the curb or sidewalk 
and at the door-sill of the garage. 

The strength, life, and appearance of the driveway 
depend ina great measure on the curing or hardening 
of the concrete. After the surface has been finished 
and has been laid for about four hours, it should be 
covered with earth about 2 or 3 inches deep, care 
being taken to use no large stones. This covering 
should be kept wet for ten days, after which it may 
be removed and the driveway is then ready for use. 


Materials 


30 foot driveway, 6 inches thick 
120 cu. ft. of concrete 
Mixture, 1:214:4 


Lehigh Cement, 2... ee 24 sacks 
Sand, 4 inch and under...... 21% cu. yds. 
Stone, 14 inch to 2 inches..... 32% cu. yds. 





Cross-section of garage entrance 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 21 





Garase Entrance 


HIS type of entrance is meeting with great favor 

throughout the country. Ithasmany advantages, 
inasmuch as it provides the safety and permanence 
of the full-width driveway with approximately half 
the concrete and permits the use of an attractive 
strip of lawn between the two concrete runways. 
The greatest point in its favor, however, is the fact 
that oil, dropping as it will from the crankcase, will 
not strike the concrete and cause the unsightly black 
smudge so frequently seen on the full-width drives 
and entrances. 


22 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


Method 


Forms should be carefully lined before placing the 
concrete, as any deviation will be very noticeable in 
the finished work. The cinder subgrade if used should 
be thoroughly tamped in place. 

Concrete should be mixed in the proportion of 
1:21%4:4, using stone up to 1% inches in size. Con- 
struction joints should be installed at regular inter- 
vals not to exceed eight feet in each runway, and an 
expansion joint should be placed %% inch or % inch 
in thickness, not over twenty-five feet apart. This is 
usually done by setting a board the required thick- 
ness at the construction joint with the plate, which 
is removed as soon as the concrete is set enough to 
permit. This is later poured with hot bitumen, which 
seals the jcint. The concrete should be finished rough 
with a wood float only, and should be properly cured 
for at least a week before being used. 


Materials 


For 20 feet of double track runway 
Mixture, 1:21%:4 


Lehigh Cement... = (jae 6 sacks 
Sand, 4 inch and under=... ae, VY cu. yd. 
Stone 14 inch to1'4%inches..... 4 cu. yd. 





Cross-section of garage runway 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 23 





Garage Driveway 


HE owner selected concrete to insure entrance at 

all times of the year. This pavement has been 
giving service for many years and has not required a 
penny’s worth of labor in maintaining its pleasing 
appearance and service. Once in, the owner forgets 
it except in rainy weather, when he congratulates 
himself for having selected concrete, the most rigid 
and permanent of materials. 


Method 


Build the curbing first, and when the forms are 
removed, draw a line indicating the top of the drive- 
way on each curb. This line will serve as a guide in 
keeping the concrete to grade. Because of the vary- 


24 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


ing height from driveway to top of curb it is im- 
practicable to attempt the use of a screed, but a 
straight-edge just short enough to set between the 
curbs will greatly assist the finishing of the surface. 

Expansion joints of tar or asphaltic material, 38 
inch wide, should be installed every thirty feet trans- 
versely, and it is well to provide the same joint on at 
least one side of the drive against the curbing. 

The concrete should be mixed in proportions of 
1:214:4, being 1 part of portland cement, 2% parts 
of sand, and 4 parts of stone or gravel graded in size 
from 4 inch to 1% inches. 

This pavement should be kept wet for at least a 
week and should not be driven on during that time 
to insure the proper curing and strengthening of the 


CONCEELE: 
Materials 
100 feet of driveway with curbing 
Mixture, 1:214:4 
Driveway, 100 feet long 


Lehigh Cement. 2-2) =e 70 sacks 
Sand, under 4 inch... ae 62 cu. yds. 


Stone, 14 inch to 1% inches. .101% cu. yds. 
Curbing, 100 feet long, varying height 


Lehigh Cement», 5.32 aa 54 sacks 
Sand, under 44: inchs ee 5% cu. yds. 


Stone, 14 inch to 1% inches.. 814 cu. yds. 


Terraced 






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ENTRANCE 
Cross-section of driveway 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 25 














Two-Car Garage Driveway 
N entrance wide enough fora single car, widened 
at the garage to permit entering either door, 
conserves space and is economical to build. Such a 
treatment provides the utmost in service and satis- 
faction and requires no attention in later years. 
Method 
In setting the forms around the reverse curve 
make shallow saw-cuts about a foot apart in the back 
of the one inch side form lumber. This will make it 
much easier to bend the form to the exact measure- 
ments required. Set a straight form on the center 
line of the wide section, and use this and the outside 
form as a level to which the concrete is screeded with 
a straight edge. To attempt to surface the entire 
width at one time would be apt to develop hollows in 
the pavement which will be very noticeable, espe- 
cially after a rain. 


26 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


The concrete should be mixed in proportions of 
1:214:4, being 1 part of portland cement, 2% parts 
of sand, and 4 parts of stone or gravel, graded from 
ly inch to 1% inches in size. 

Before pouring the second half of the wide section 
the form must be removed and a %%-inch asphaltic 
expansion joint be substituted; also an expansion 
joint should be used at the beginning of the approach, 
and at thirty-foot intervals over the entire distance 
to the curb or sidewalk. 

If the concrete is still somewhat soft or green in the 
first half when the second half is laid, it is well to lay 
a plank on it and correct the straight edge accord- 
ingly when finishing the surface of the second half. 





SECTION 


Plan and cross-section of two-car garage driveway 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 27 


The finish is made with a wood float only. Curing 
should take ten days or two weeks, after which the 
pavement is ready for use. 


Materials 

Mixture, 1:244:4 

Entrance 
(TEC SUS ll ee re 5 cu. yds. 
Peniein@ement. ..2........°. 27°sacks 
So) | 2 22 cu. yds. 
SON. «SO 4 cu. yds. 

Approach, 30 feet long 
enero wae ........... 334 cu. yds. 
MemeteGement. oc... 5. so. 20 sacks 
So Be 2 CUmy US, 
PSUSGe ene ea. tet as: 3 cu. yds. 





A concrete driveway on a steep grade will not wash out, and provides 
entrance in all weather 


28 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 





Garage with Concrete Floor 


UILT of concrete or concrete masonry units, a 

garage will meet the requirements of the most 

strict and exacting building codes. Garages must be 
fire-proof, and concrete has proved itself. 


Method of Constructing Foundation and Floor 


The foundation and footings should extend below 
the normal frost line, and should be built of con- 
crete mixed in proportions of 1:214:4, being 1 part 
of portland cement, 21% parts of sand, and 4 parts of 
stone or gravel, graded in size from 44 inch to 1% 
inches. Spread footings should be used, except in 
soil that is very firm. 

After the inside foundation forms have been re- 
moved, the earth subgrade should be well tamped, 
and if it is earth that will not permit proper drainage 
of water, it is well to use a layer of cinders or gravel 
directly beneath the concrete floor. 

The floor concrete should be mixed in proportions 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 29 





of 1:2:31%, using stone not larger than one inch. 
This should be thoroughly mixed, using as little 
water as possible. The surface should be finished 
with a wood float and should be sloped to a drain. 

If it is proposed to erect a frame structure upon 
the concrete foundation, bolts should be set in the 
wall with which to anchor the timber plate in place. 


Materials 
Foundations, 3 feet deep, no footings 
Mixture, 1:214:4 
Concrete, 1331 cu. ft. 


Demenveement....2...0s.... 27 sacks 
Sand, 4 inch and under...... 2% cu. yds. 


Stone, 14 inch to 1% inches... .4 cu. yds. 
Floor, 20 feet x 12 feet x 5 inches 
Mixture, 1:2:3% 
Concrete, 100 cu. ft. 


Wenig Gement 8 os. 24 sacks 
Sand, 14 inch and under...... 134 cu. yds. 
Stone, 44 inch to 1 inch....... 3 cu. yds. 


When the foundation is completed, work on the 
superstructure may proceed at once. In fact, this 
is to be preferred, as it will serve to protect the 
floor concrete from the heat of the sun while it is 
curing, and keep off rain, which will mark up the 
surface of fresh concrete and wash away the cement. 

Reugh-faced concrete blocks 8x 8x16 are used 


CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 





NOTE: 
Windows 
2 Lr 24°'x20" 








rooring 
He 


Section elevation 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 31 





One-car garage with concrete driveway 


in this plan, and are laid in Portland cement mortar 
mixed in proportions of 1:3, being 1 part portland 
cement and 3 parts sand. 

The roof structure is of frame construction, the 
bed plate is anchored to the concrete blocks by 
bolts set in concrete poured into the cores of the 
top course of blocks. 

Portland cement stucco mixed in proportions of 
1:3, and colored to harmonize with its surround- 
ings, will make the garage a source of pride and a 
distinctive addition to the property. 


Materials 


Garage superstructure 
a oexo-concrete block... , . 516 


Soa meomcuncrete. block... <* 42 
Sanda inch and under: ... 2%% cu. yds. 


Menienseenents ea. che. ke 24 sacks 


32 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 





Private Drive 


HE value of concrete as a road material need not 

be discussed at length here. It is seen every- 
where. Every State in the Union has concrete high- 
ways or streets, and many of them have adopted 
concrete to the exclusion of all other materials for the 
building of permanent roads. Every one likes to 
drive on concrete because of its smooth riding quali- 
ties, its non-skid surface, and its pleasing appearance. 
Roads built of concrete are never closed by inclem- 
ent weather. They are quickly and economically 
built with local labor and materials, are kept in a 
sanitary and serviceable condition with a minimum 
of expense, and will last indefinitely. 


Method 


The road shown in the accompanying sketch was 
designed and built for light traffic, and the integral 
curb and gutter, described elsewhere in this book, 
was used. The use of the integral type of curb and 
gutter shortens the span of the road slab, which is an 





ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 33 


Symmetrical about €. 


Recess 50, q's aud aM 


2 ple 
ioe Vise a PE As 





advantage and permits the construction of the curb 
first. This is later used in place of a side form, from 
which the screed is operated to strike off the surface 
of the pavement. 

In using the separate curb it may either be built 
first and an offset screed used for the pavement, or it 
may be built after the pavement has been laid. The 
first-mentioned method is usually adopted. 

The concrete should be machine mixed to insure 
accuracy, and in the proportions of 1:2:4, being 1 
part of portland cement, 2 parts of sand, and 4 parts 
of stone or gravel, graded in size from 14 inch to 
2 inches. Use as little water as possible to obtain a 
| workable mix. 


34 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


Three-eighths-inch expansion joints of asphalt or 
tar should be provided on each side of the road slab, 
regardless of the type of curb. Transverse expansion 
joints should be installed every fifty feet and at the 
end of the day’s work. Care must be taken to set 
these joints at right angles to the road surface. 

These joints are usually made with the aid of a 
3% inch or 14 inch thick piece of steel shaped to con- 
form to the cross-section of the road. This is held in 
place and plumbed by pins or stakes driven securely 
into the subgrade. On the side opposite to the pins 
the joint filler is placed. Concrete is deposited on 
both sides of this plate, which is then removed 
together with the pins, leaving the filler in place. 

The pavement shown is not reinforced, nor is 
it considered necessary for pavements subjected to 
light traffic only. However, on work of this nature 
circumferential reinforcing, consisting of a single 
5z-inch steel rod, may well be used placed 2 inches 
down from the top of the slab, and located 4 inches 
in from the edges, both longitudinal and transverse 
of each slab. The use of such reinforcement will 
effectually prevent cracking of the pavement at the 
edges, and especially at the corners. 

Integral curbs are usually doweled to the road slab 
with two-foot iron pins spaced four feet apart. This 
is done to prevent the widening of the joint and to 
prevent seepage. 

The surface should be finished with a wood float 
only, and should be cured by the use of two or three 
inches of earth kept wet for at least eighteen days. 
At the end of the curing period the layer of earth is 
removed and the pavement is then ready for use. 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 35 


Materials 
50 feet of 15-foot roadway 
Mixture, 1:2:4 
Concrete, 1334 cu. yds. 


Pee Me@ement 1s... 82 sacks 
Sand, 14 inch and under..... 614 cu. yds. 


Stone, 44 inch to 2 inches....121% cu. yds. 


100 feet of curbing (separate) 
Mixture, 1:2:4 
Concrete, 234 cu. yds. 


eniguMeementy. 4... ...... 16 sacks 
Sand, 14 inch and under..... 114 cu. yds. 
Stone, 14 inch to 2 inches.... 2144 cu. yds. 


The picture below shows a somewhat different 
arrangement and demonstrates effectively the possi- 
bilities of concrete in the adornment of suburban 
property. Such a treatment provides a small com- 
munity parking space as well as an attractive sani- 
tary permanent drive in all weather. 





A combination garage entrance and turnstile 





36 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 





Sidewalk, Curb, and Gutter 


HIS work can be profitably done at one time, 

and when finished, it is but another step to the 
paving of the street itself, and the abutting property 
owners have no further trouble from dust or mud. 

Concrete curbing is used extensively in practically 
all cities and towns throughout the country. It has 
been found most satisfactory and far more economical 
than any other suitable material. 

The concrete gutter is but a part of the concrete 
street which every one desires and enjoys. The con- 
crete sidewalk has long been accepted as the best 
type possible, due to its ability to resist wear and its 
slip-proof qualities. 
Method 


The forms for the sidewalk and curb are set to- 
gether and the placing of the concrete in both is done 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 37 


at the same time. The curb approaches and the 
gutter cannot be poured until the forms have been 
removed from the concrete in the sidewalk and curb. 

Construction joints should be provided in the side- 
walk every five feet, making five-foot squares; in 
the gutter they should be spaced not more than ten 
feet apart. One-quarter inch expansion joints should 
occur in the sidewalk every twenty-five feet; in the 
gutter every twenty feet, and in the curb every fifty 
feet. Expansion joints should be placed at one end 
of the curb approach slab and should separate the 
curb from the gutter. This will prevent the curb 
from tipping. 


Curb 


5-0" - - 2, Ons 


Sidewalk “i Gere ee Gutter 
12 Approach 





4 Asphalt 
Kd ie Expansion 





Plan and cross-section of sidewalk, curb, and gutter 


38 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 





The concrete should be mixed in proportions of 
1:214:4, being 1 part portland cement, 2% parts of 
sand, and 4 parts of stone or gravel, graded in size 
from 14 inch to 1 inch. The surface of the walk, 
curb approach, and gutter should be finished with a 
wood float only. An edging tool should be used to 
round the curb edges. The curb can be rubbed with 
an abrasive stone to remove form marks and improve 
its appearance. Curing should take at least a week 
for sidewalk, curb approach and curb, and two weeks 


for the gutter. 
Materials 


Mixture, 1:214:4 


Gus Sacks; oa ae 


Length | Width Thick- | Ft. |Lehigh aes Stone 
ness Con- Ce- Under Y in. 


crete | ment | 1 in, |to 1 in. 


Sidewalk...... 20’ 0" | 5-0" esse 9 2 
ease nee 2’ 6" | 6’ 0" | OS® 7a eee 


Curb... .:...4 22/50" 0" | -0".6" | 256 age ae 1t 
(SURCED one eae 20-0" | 2:6" 1 OSes 2 | 14 





ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 39 





Integral Curb and Gutter 


HIS type of construction is meeting with great 

favor in all parts of the country, and particularly 
in residential districts, where its neat and pleasing 
appearance blends harmoniously with its surround- 
ings. The fact that the face of the curb slopes back 
proves most satisfactory in that it does not scrape 
or injure tires of cars parked close to the curb. 


Method 


Forms are usually used to shape curbs; however, 
it has often proved advisable to use a very stiff or 
dry mixture and shape the curb to contour by the 
use of special forms of screeds and trowels. 

Forms are simple to build and set. An opening is 
left in the top through which the concrete may be 
deposited and spaded. They should be removed as 


40 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


Ii Faint at consin. Joint * 
oe 2 Be: ee os = pe Zz 





soon as the concrete is hard enough, and the surface 
should be entirely gone over, all holes filled and 
troweled to give the curb a uniform appearance. 

The concrete should be 1:2:3, being 1 part of 
portland cement, 2 parts of sand, and 4 parts of gravel 
or stone graded in size from 4 inch to 1 inch. 

Expansion joints should be installed in curbing 
at the location of joints in the pavement, thus pre- 
senting a uniform appearance. 

Curbs should be cured for at least ten days by 
being kept wet, in order that the concrete may attain 
its full strength, and thus withstand the repeated 
severe shocks to which it will be constantly subjected. 


Materials 
50 feet of integral curb and gutter 
Mixture, 1:2:3 
Concrete, 100 cu. ft. 


Lehigh Cement... eee 25 sacks 
Sand, 4 inch and under...... 21% cu. yds. 


Stone, 14 inch to 1 inch.......3 cu. yds. 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 41 











is 








Al 
on TLE 
Hitching Post 


HIS type of post is usually precast and later 
: set in place and securely anchored by pouring 
concrete around it. 
: Forms should be built of white pine, leaving one 
side open to place the reinforcing and concrete. 
The reinforcing rods are set in place as the pour- 
ing of the cencrete progresses. 
The concrete should be mixed in proportions of 
1: 2:3, being 1 partof portland cement, 2 parts of sand, 
and 3 parts of stone or gravel graded in size from 
Yy inch to 1 inch. After the forms are off the concrete 
should be rubbed to remove all traces of form marks. 
The post should not be set up for at least two weeks. 


42 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 




















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Septic Tank 


HE sanitary requirements of the modern home 

are very ably cared for by the concrete septic 
tank. Many cities and towns are still without sewer- 
age facilities, and the septic tank has been approved 
as the most sanitary and satisfactory method of 
sewage disposal. In farming districts the septic tank 
is universally accepted, it having proved itself eff- 
cient in its work, easily and quickly constructed, and 
low in first cost and maintenance. 


Method 


A septic tank is a watertight compartment through 
which a slow current of sewage passes. While passing 
through it is worked on by bacteria and most of the 
solids are turned into liquids and gas. 

The accompanying plans and sketches are self- 
explanatory. They indicate method for determining 
the location of the intake and outlet, and the placing 
of the baffleboards in slots cut into the concrete walls. 

Exterior forms are not necessary in soils that are 








sei 





ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 43 


= 


LZI-—SSSSS 


ZZ 











pag <= eee 
“2222 


| 
! 
| 
| 








Fig. 1.—Section of tank in operation 


firm. The walls should be at least six inches thick, of 
1:2:4 concrete, being 1 part of portland cement, 2 
parts of sand, and 4 parts of gravel or stone, graded 
in size from 14 inch to 1% inches. ‘‘ Plums” or large 
stones should not be used, as they are apt to cause 
leakage in the walls. 

The cover is divided into three sections—one form 
can be made to serve by using it three times. Each 
cover slab should be reinforced with galvanized ex- 
panded metal lath placed 34 inch from the bottom of 
the concrete. Reinforcing is not necessary in the 
walls. 

The floor should be poured first. This gives an 
excellent footing for setting the wall forms. 

The forms should not be removed until the con- 


44 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


Inlet b32frfle 
28” 
iS} 
S . 
® > q 
~h 





ae Tr way apa Pee ae 
Sean AUN rome nyse: 


SECTION LENGTHWISE 


PER ect ies 
ait Crh abd 5 








Fig. 2.—Detailed drawings of tank 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS. 45 





1 fei a Mo \ a 2 More than 
iF lea te Ngo SO inlet grade 
v 4 








a e ic : ile 
aa | 
A ies ' 


nT 
Tay 
wes “ 


Mt 






























































































































\ in i MA S “ 
aod f Y | pov >. ~ oD 
“ aa AY! YN lk ees e NO 
Ere ae a) Mi . | x i ie outlet grade 
aos \) = \ 
Inlet bpd \ OWN 
Inlet drop’ : Db: 
wr 


Fig. 3.—Showing method of locating inlet and outlet grades with a 

level held against the bottom of the cross-pieces. Stick to measure 

depth of excavation is also shown. The 5-inch addition at the bottom 

can be removed and the stick see as a guide in laying the concrete 
oor 


Section thru cleat which forms siot 


Fig. 4.—Form for building tank 





46 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 





Posts fo support form 







irc 


¥ WK tp 
NS 
H cross brace _y_| { R\ 
|__P" 
) 
ie ener 
Beto), 


N Diegonal ) 
N cross brace | 


foe eared 













= 








— 


Space for concrete 















W399 7//)\ SUNY 





WIZ 
Fig. 5.—Form in place 


crete has thoroughly hardened. This will probably 
take about a week. 7 


Materials 
For tank. Mixture, 1:2:4 | 
Inside dimensions, 21% feet x 5 feet x 41% feet 
Concrete, 48% cu. ft. 


Lehigh Cement... eee 101% sacks | 
Sand, 14 inch and under..... 4 cu. yd. | 


Gravel, 14 inch to 14% inches. 1% cu. yd. 


For cover. Mixture, 1:2:3 
Concrete, 514 cu. ft. 


a ee 


Lehigh Cement . 2250 eee 11% sacks 
Sand, 14 inch and under ....... sy cu. yd. | 
Gravel, Yo inch to % anche 4 cu. yd. 


’ 
| 





aa 


7 
Spt : 
Fig. 6.—Absorption tile laid in trench with tar paper over joints, 


LSYpesy 


surrounded with gravel and the top soil placed directly above the tile 





ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 47 





Watering Troughs 


HE permanence of concrete is an essential in its 

use for watering troughs. Other materials may 
rot, rust and deteriorate, but concrete subjected to 
constant moisture continues to strengthen indefi- 
nitely. A watering trough of concrete is clean and 
sanitary, the concrete does not in any way affect 
the water or its taste, and it will last indefinitely 
without further expenditures for upkeep. 


Method 
Construct forms of tongued and grooved spruce 
lumber if possible, set them carefully, and hang the 
inside from cross-pieces attached to the outside form. 
By placing one board about four inches wide on the 
inside form at the top floor line, the entire trough 


48 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


can be poured in one operation, footings and all, 
making the structure monolithic throughout, and 
eliminating the possibility of leaky seams. This 
board is necessary to prevent the fresh concrete in 
the wall from bubbling under the form into the 
trough interior. 

The concrete should be mixed in proportions of 
1:2:3, being 1 part of portland cement, 2 parts of 
sand, and 3 parts of stone and gravel, graded in size 
from 14 inch to 1 inch. This should be poured in 
layers of about six inches and mixed as dry as 
possible. Machine mixing is preferred, as the con- 
crete can then be thoroughly mixed to the proper 
consistency with a minimum of water content. 

The concrete should be thoroughly spaded to con- 
solidate the aggregate and insure a close bond with 
the reinforcing steel, which is installed prior to the 












Ss 


I aA 25'S wee DAV 


0 
SS 
Q 









=O 
ie. VES 


Plan of small watering trough 





ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 49 


pouring of the concrete. These bars should be 
securely wired at each intersection and held in place. 

The use of cross wires from the inside to the out- 
side form is not recommended, because they cannot 
be removed and they eventually will rust out and 
leakage will then occur. Spreaders may be used be- 
tween the inner and outer forms to prevent any shift- 
ing, but they must be removed as the concrete rises. 

The floor of the trough should be finished with a 
steel trowel immediately and the forms should be 
removed from the inside as soon as the concrete is 
hard enough, and any air holes or rock pockets 
immediately filled and troweled smooth. A thin 
plaster coat of 1:2 mortar will make a good bond 
with the wall concrete, and present an impervious 
surface, through which water cannot pass. This 
_ should be finished smooth with a steel trowel. 


Materials 


Trough, 3 feet 6 inches x 8 feet x 1 foot x 9 inches 
Mixture, 1:2:3 
Concrete, 24 cu. ft. 


emi CMe te. ald eels 6 sacks 
Sanaa inc and under. 2.22. V6 cu. yd. 
Stanceea inch to finch .;...... 28 cu. yd. 


°g inch rods—7 feet 6 inches long 10 pieces 
5g inch rods—6 feet 2 inches long 8 pieces 


In building the large watering trough the same 
methods and mixtures should be used as those 
described for the construction of the smaller trough. 

The list of reinforcing material is shown on the 
plan. The twenty horizontal wall rods should be 
bent to carry around the corners, lapping a foot at 
the center of the ends and sides. The bars should 


50 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 





Bill of Feimnforcing 
24-Vertical Wall Bars:- Bx 2-6°- /8" Cc. fo c. 
20- Horizonia] ~~ a 2 x 10-6" - 6 cfove 
7- Transverse Floor Bars:-#x6-6"- 18° ¢. toc. 
5- Longitudinal *  * “2 x12*6"- 18" c.toc 





Below frost line 


Plan and cross-section of watering trough 


be securely wired together at the lap. The vertical 
wall rods are set into the footing concrete at least 
six inches. If the footings are poured before the 
wall forms are set, these rods should be placed and 
they then make easy the setting of the balance of 
the reinforcing, which may be wired to them. 


Materials 
Mixture, 1:2:3 
Concrete, 139.5 cu. ft. 


Lehigh Cement... .. 32 35 sacks 
Sand, 14 inch and under...... 2; cu. yds. 


Stone, 1yinch to finches 4 cu. yds. 





ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 51 














Barn Approach 
SUBSTANTIAL approach is a worthwhile im- 
provement to a barn, because it keeps the soil 
in place during heavy rains, and the concrete walls 
always present a neat and attractive appearance. 


Method 

Forms should be constructed of one-inch boards 
and two by four studs spaced not over 18 inches 
apart, and set on spread footings previously poured 
of concrete mixed in proportions of 1:2144:5. The 
wall concrete should be mixed in proportions of 
1:21%:4, and the suspended slab should be of 1:2:3 
concrete, with °4 inch bars spaced 10 inches center 
to center, and 1% inches from the bottom of the 
slab. This is for an eight-foot span only—other spans 
should be computed by an engineer. 


52 


CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 





ea a ee es 


NOILVAS19 
ANOYuj AVY 





yovoidde ulvq JO UONLAZIS OPIS 


: phi AT tae 
pe a ee 


9 Seca 















ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 53 


When the wall concrete is poured, the 14% inch 
galvanized iron pipe are set in place four feet apart. 
After the concrete has been cured, these posts may 
be connected with pipe to make a strong railing the 
length of the approach. 

A four-inch curb is provided on the slab. This 
should be constructed the full width of the wall of 
the approach, to present a uniform appearance. 

In the end wall of the approach one or two open- 
ings should be left, four or five inches square, to 
permit drainage at all times of the earth fill with 
which the walls are filled. 

After the forms are removed ample time should 
be allowed for the concrete to cure and harden 
before building up the earth fill roadway. 


Materials 


24 feet of footing 
Mixture, 1:244:5 
Concrete, 14% cu. yds. 


nel) (Sneha ae 9 sacks 
Sand, 4 inch and under:..:.. 24 cu. yd. 


Stone, 14 inch to 1% inches...11% cu. yds. 
Approach walls 
Mixture, 1:214:4 
Concrete, 150 cu. ft. 


(Stes oh (Cie 90a) 0 ea 31 sacks 
Sand, 4 inch and under...... 3 cu. yds. 


Stone, 14 inch to 1% inches... 424 cu. yds. 


Slab, 8 feet x 16 feet x 6 inches 
Mixture, 1:2:3 
Concrete, 64 cu. ft. 
Pehigit= Cement... 5: .. . 24 sacks 
Sand, 44 inch and under 114 cu. yds. 
Stone, 14 inch to 1 inch.1% cu. yds. 
Reinforcement (24 pieces) 5% in. x 8 ft. 6 in. 


54 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 








Storage Cellars 


ONCRETE storage cellars have proved their 
worth in all sections of the country. These 
plans give details of a storage cellar which was 
built during 1924 at the Pennsylvania State College. 
It has been determined that dirt floors are most 
satisfactory, and so in this work wall and column 
footings only were used, they being one foot deep, 
and of concrete, mixed in proportions of 1:2144:4 
Walls and columns are of 1:2:4. 





/8 Metal ventilator 









> 


op=ayp With hinged door 


J: opening 


SS 


185 x 18 Ven pia ie 
with hinged door 






Cross-section of small storage cellar 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 55 


For this work a double wall was constructed with 
a movable form. Concrete building units, block or 
tile, prove satisfactory for this sort of work. The 
monolithic concrete wall is also used extensively. 

The roof is of concrete mixed 1:2:3, and heavily 
reinforced with steel bars, a complete schedule of 
which is given. 

A section of a small storage cellar is also shown. 
This is built of monolithic concrete throughout, the 
footings and walls being of concrete mixed in pro- 
portions of 1:214:4 and the roof mixed 1: 2:3. 

_A table giving the necessary reinforcing for roof 
spans is given, as follows: 


REINFORCEMENT REQUIRED ACROSS THE ROOF OF 
ms ORAGH CELLAR 





: Thickness of Size of Bars Spacing, from 
Width of Span Concrete Needed Center to Center 

8 feet ata ie inch 672 inches 
i 66 572 bé 3 é6 8 66 
11 66 6% 66 56 if 1% ‘ 
66 é é 
Me ‘ 17 bc 4 66 y 1 be 
13 66 8 éé es bé 8% 6c 
14 éé 9 66 4 6é (2 6 
- 6b 1o” 66 “s bé : bé 

8 


The roof should be finished with a slight crown to 
drain water, and should be troweled smooth with a 
steel float. The inside walls and roof may be given 
a coat of portland cement mortar if desired. 

The deck or roof forms should be left in place for 
at least three weeks, and the concrete should be 
properly cured during that time in order that it may 
gain its maximum strength. 


CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


56 





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57 





ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 





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60 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 





Poultry House Floor 


GOOD poultry house should provide perfect 

protection from storms, sufficient sunshine dur- 

ing the winter months, plenty of ventilation without 
drafts and uniformity of temperature. 

A concrete foundation and floor will provide the 
most sanitary and permanent base at the lowest cost 
consistent with good construction. 

Floors of concrete do not rot or disintegrate. They 
are rigid and safe to walk upon, they are quickly and 
easily built with local materials, and may be kept 
clean and neat with a minimum of effort. 

A newly laid poultry house floor should be allowed 
sufficient time to dry thoroughly before being used, 
as fresh concrete contains considerable moisture. If 
time is a factor, it is best to install the floor first and 
build the superstructure afterward. 





ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 61 


Poultry house floor 


Method 

The footings and wallsof a poul- 
try house should be built first, and 
after removing the forms, the 
backfill of earth should be soaked 
with water and well tamped in 
place to insure against settling 
under the floor after it is laid. 

Drainage must be provided for 
by using drain tile to carry off 
ground water, especially on the 
uphill side of the structure. It is 
always a good plan to lay a sub- 
floor of cinders or gravel in clay 
soils. 

The concrete for the walls 
should be mixed in proportions of 
1:2:4, being 1 part of portland 
cement, 2 parts of sand, and 4 
parts of stone or gravel graded in 
size from 14 inch to 1% inches. 
One hand stones may be used 
sparingly in these walls, care being 
taken to keep them from touching 
one another or laying against the 
forms. 

The concrete for the floor 
should be mixed in proportions of 
1:2:34% and should be at least 
four inches thick. If possible, the 
concrete should be machine mixed 
and the water content kept 
low. 


62 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


It should be finished with a wooden float only, 
and allowed to cure at least a week before being used. 
It should be kept wet during the curing period, in 
order that it may attain its full strength. 


Materials 
Walls, 19 feet x 39 feet x 3 feet inside 
Mixture, 1:2:4 
Concrete, 177 cu. ft. 


Lehigh Gement...0. eee 33 sacks 
pand,. 44 inch and ander aaa 2% cu. yds. 
Stone, 14 inch to 14% inches... 5 cu. yds. 
Plums, 4 inches and under.... 2 cu. yds. 


Floor, 19 feet x 39 feet x 4 inches 
Mixture, 1:2:34% 
Concrete, 247 cu. ft. 


Lehigh Cement. 3. 333 46 sacks 
Sand, 14 inch and under..... 42 cu. yds. 
Stone, 4 inch to 1 inches 72 cu. yds. 





Poultry house with a concrete floor and a rear wall as high as the 
dropping boards. The two-story building at the far end is a feed 
house 





ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 63 











Hos Runs 


HERE is no material superior to concrete in 
improving the appearance of farm buildings. 
This picture shows what one man has done with his 
hog runs. Concrete for this work has eliminated the 
necessity of constant replacements, and has changed 
an unattractive and unsanitary yard to a neat, clean 
run which will last indefinitely with no further 
expense. 
Method 
The walls are built six inches thick, the base being 
set below the frost line without spread footings. The 







18 Galv. Iron Fipe 


Below frost fine 


Elevation of hog run wall 


64 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


forms should be built in sections, eight or ten feet 
long, if there is any considerable amount of wall to 
build. Studs spaced 18 inches apart should provide 
a rigid wall form that can be set and reset accurately 
until the job is completed. 

The concrete should be mixed in proportions of 
1:21%:4, being 1 part of portland cement, 244 parts 
of sand, and 4 parts of stone or gravel, graded in 
size from 14 inch to 1% inches. 

The concrete should be machine mixed if possible, 
to insure uniformity of mixture and water content, 
which should be kept as low as possible consistent 
with workability. It should be placed in the form 
in layers and thoroughly spaded to insure con- 
solidation of aggregates. 

The iron pipe for the fencing should be buried in 
the soft concrete at stated intervals as soon as 
possible after the concrete is placed, to insure a 
satisfactory bond. A tee or union at the bottom of 
the pipe further insures its stability. Care must be 
used to set the fence pipe plumb and all the same 
height. 

After the forms are removed the surface of the 
wall may be rubbed with an abrasive stone to remove 
form marks. Fencing should not be set up until 
the concrete is at least two weeks old, as the strain 
on the posts may otherwise fracture the concrete. 

Materials 

50 feet of hog run wall, 4 feet 6 inches deep 

Mixture, 1:214:4 

Concrete, 112% cu. ft. 


Lehigh Cement: 7. 23 bags 
Sand, 44 inch and undersea. 2% cu. yds. 


Stone, 14 inch to 1% inches.. .31% cu. yds. 





ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 65 





Hog Houses 


ONCRETE is generally used in building a 
modern sanitary hog house, plans for which 
are very nearly standard throughout the country. 


Method 


The sketch and picture indicate the layout most 
commonly used in building a hog house. 

The foundations and superstructure are similar 
to those in any other farm building. The floor is 
laid over a well-tamped earth subgrade, and at each 
stall there is a small footing built properly to support 
the heavy pipe posts and wire panel. 

The floors, panel footings, and feed troughs are 
all made of concrete mixed in proportions of 1:21%:4, 
being 1 part of portland cement, 21% parts of sand, 


CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


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ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 67 





and 4 parts of stone or gravel, graded in size from 
14 inch to 1 inch. It should be machine mixed if 
possible, to insure proper proportioning and to keep 
the water content low. Floors should be finished 
with a wood float only. 

Set the forms and pour the panel fcotings and bases 
first, into which the panel posts are set while the 
concrete is being placed. After the forms are re- 
moved the pen floors are poured together with the 
feeding troughs. 

Materials 


One panel footing and base, 5 inches by 9 inches 
by 8 feet 

Mixture, 1:244:4 

Concrete, 21% cu. ft. 


POUR IMent ce... . ss... V sack 
Sande, imch and under...... so cu. yd. 
Slane wich to diirich,..... 7x cu. yd. 


One floor, 4 inches x 8 feet x 8 feet 
Mixture, 1:2144:4 
Concrete, 2114 cu. ft. 


pense Cement... kk ee. 4 sacks 
Sand, 14 inch and under...... 2 cu. yd. 


Stone, 4 inch to 1 inch....... 2 cu. yd. 


68 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 





Hog Wallows 


CONCRETE hog wallow will assist in keeping 

pigs clean and free from mange and insect 
pests. Unless a wallow is provided, the hogs will 
quickly make a disease-breeding mud hole on the 
hog lot. : 


Method 

As indicated in the plan, this wallow is built with 
shallow footings on a well-tamped earth foundation. 
While it is not absolutely essential that a hog wallow 
be watertight, it is easily accomplished by suspend- 
ing the inside forms from cross-braces supported by 
the outside forms. The footings, floor, and walls 
may then be poured monolithic and consequently 
watertight. 

The sketch indicates the top of the wall level and 
provides for a pitch in the floor to a drain through 
which the water may be drawn off into a short line 
of drain tile. 

The concrete should be mixed in proportions of 
1:2:314, being 1 part of portland cement, 2 parts of 


_——— Tos 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 69 





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sand, and 314 parts of stone or gravel graded in size 
from 14 inch to 1% inches. It should be mixed with 
the least amount of water to give it workability. 
The floor should be finished with a wood float to 
provide firm and non-skid footing for the stock. 
The walls may be plastered with a thin coat of 1:2 
mortar to further insure waterproofness, if desired. 


Materials 
Mixture, 1:2:3% 
Concrete, 93 cu. ft. 


PreniP aC ement 6.0) li... os 22 sacks 
Sands inch and wnder..... - 124 cu. yds. 


Stone, 14 inch to 1% inches.. .2% cu. yds. 


A hog wallow that can be very easily and quickly 
constructed is illustrated on the next page. In con- 
struction of forms, proportion of mix, and method of 
finishing it is identical with the one just described. 
The ramp is a decided advantage, however, providing 
easy entrance, and the forms are a bit easier to con- 
struct. In this wallow no provision is made for 
drainage. The pit is filled by means of a hose, and 
the water is bailed out when it becomes necessary 
to clean it. Drainage can, however, be easily pro- 


vided if desired. 


70 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 








Materials 
Footings, 2 feet deep 
Mixture, 1:2:31% 
Concrete, 12814 cu. ft. 
Lehigh Cement . .30 sacks 
Sand, 14 inch and under. ..2\% cu. yds. 
Stone, ly inch to 1% inches. ..4 cu. yds. 


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Below frost line ELEVATION 





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ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 71 





Manure Pits 


HE old type of combined barnyard and manure 
pit is rapidly passing because it is wasteful and 
unsanitary. The value of manure stored in a tight 
concrete pit as compared with barnyard storage is 
so great that the pit will quickly repay its con- 
struction cost. 
Method 


Pour the footings first, and upon them erect 
forms of inch boards and two by four studs spaced 
not over 18 inches apart for the walls. The footings 
and walls should be keyed together to make a tight 
joint and insure a good bond. After the inside wall 
forms have been removed, the subgrade should be 
prepared if the soil is very porous and ground water 
is present; a line of drain tile around the walls will 
lead the water away from the pit. The floor should 


72 





CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 






8 Expansion Joint 
AS eta og 

2 Layers Tarred Felt 
Provide Keyway 







20" ie os Be ss 
Ag 
BOS Sige io cern Meee 






Detail of wall and floor connection 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 73 


rest on the top of the footings and a slip joint pro- 
vided for expansion and contraction. The floor 
may be finished with a steel float to present a 
smooth, non-porous surface. 

The driveway should be built with an apron or 
light foundation wall to strengthen it against impact 
of wagon-wheels, and keep it from sinking in soft 
ground. 

Metal sockets or bolts are embedded in the top 
of the wall to permit construction of a roof. 

All concrete should be mixed in proportions of 
1:214:4, being 1 part of portland cement, 24% parts 
of sand, and 4 parts of gravel, graded in size from 
4 inch to 1% inches. It should be machine mixed 
if possible and the water content should be kept low. 


Materials 


For large manure pit 
Mixture, 1:244:4 
Concrete, 356 cu. ft. 


CIO HMGGIMOCTIL sii ka... ss 71 sacks 
Sand,.+4 inch and under...... 67% cu. yds. 


Stone, 14 inch to 1% inches. . .10% cu. yds. 


The plan on the next page shows a much smaller 
manure pit. It is built in the same manner as the 
larger one, however, and the same aggregates and 
mixture are used. 

Materials 

Mixture, 1:214:4 

Concrete, 194% cu. ft. 


Meio maeIMentt a. c.f 39 sacks 
Sand, 4 inch and under...... 334 cu. yds. 


Stone, 14 inch to 1% inches. . . 53% cu. yds. 


CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


74 





Small manure pit 





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ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS vas) 





Concrete Piers 
O ELIMINATE rotting of sills and under- 
pinning of buildings build them of concrete. 
Sturdy and strong, it will bear its load indefinitely 
and strengthen with age. 


Method 


The plans shown here provide for the setting of a 
steel or timber superstructure. 

The forms are set and the piers poured in place. 
In the first plan provision is made for steel anchor 
bolts; in the second, T-shaped pier, dowels are used 
to fasten the rough timber to the pier head. 

The manner of setting forms for the pier founda- 
tions or footings and the piers themselves are identi- 
cal, as they are both battered on all sides. The most 
common practice is to build two opposite sides true 
to line and set them in place, then the two remaining 
sides are simply boarded up and studs set in place 
at the corners. The entire form must be rigidly 
braced from without and the forms tightly wired 


76 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


toa 






# x12" Anchor, Bolts 
pee 






Square-head pier 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 77 





together either by using ties running diagonally from 
corner to corner through the pier, or by providing 
collars at stated intervals up the form on the outside. 
These may be made of several strands of wire or 
lumber which is tightly wedged in place. Form 
lumber should be of tongued and grooved material. 

The concrete in the footings should be mixed in 
proportions of 1:2:4, being 1 part of portland cement, 
2 parts of sand, and 4 parts of broken stone or gravel, 
ranging in size from 14 inch to 2 inches. The pier 
or post concrete should be mixed in proportions of 
1:2:3%, being 1 part of portland cement, 2 parts of 
sand, and 31% parts of broken stone or gravel, 
graded in size from 14 inch to 1% inches. 

The placing of the concrete should be done slowly, 
as large batches deposited suddenly will often spring 
the forms and cause them to leak. 

The pier footings should be allowed to set thor- 
oughly before the forms are set for the posts. When 


78 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 





T-head pier 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 79 


the footings are poured, set two-foot dowels, as in- 
dicated in the plan. To these the post reinforc- 
ing must be securely wired before the concrete is 
poured. Iron piping is not good reinforcing mate- 
rial, nor is wire fencing. Use only approved soft 
steel rods, and take pains to keep them free from rust, 
oil and dirt, to insure a satisfactory bond with the 
concrete. 

In setting anchor bolts a template should be made 
from which they may be hung. This template must 
be securely fastened to the wall form at the exact 
location required, in reference to those on other piers 
and height above the footing, to insure a fit with 
the holes provided in the steel or timber super- 
structure. 

To allow a little leeway in making the fit it is a 
good plan to provide anchor bolts threaded to a 
point which will be eight or ten inches below the 
surface of the concrete. A nut and washer are placed 
at this point, and a piece of pipe about twice the 
diameter of the anchor bolt and long enough to 
reach to the top of concrete is set over it. This will 
permit the bolt being pried a bit in any direction. 

The completed work should be allowed to cure for 
at least three weeks before the weight of the super- 
structure is placed upon it. The forms should not be 
removed for a week, and when they are, an abrasive 
stone may be used to erase the form marks and im- 
prove the appearance. 

The design of foundations of this nature is ex- 
tremely important, and consequently it is best to 
have the concrete work planned and designed by a 
competent engineer or architect who will be able to 


80 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


compute the weight the piers must support and will 
design them accordingly. 


Materials 


For footing of one square pier 
Mixture, 1:2:4 
Concrete, 16 cu. ft. 


Lehigh Cement >.) eee 4 sacks 
Sand, 44 inch and vndeqeeee yy cu. yd. 
Stone, 14 inch to 2 inches.... cu. yd. 


For footing of one T-shaped pier 
Mixture, 1:2:4 
Concrete, 624 cu. ft. 


Lehigh Cement: 35a eee 11% sacks 
Sand, 44 inch and undersea zy cu. yd. 
Stone, 4 inch to 2 inches..... + cu. yd. 


For one square pier 
Mixture, 1:2:31% 
(oncrete; 12 cuit: 


Lehigh Cement «32 3aseenee 3 sacks 
Sand, 4 inch and under...... + cu. yd. 


Stone, 14 inch to 1% inches... 1 cu. yd 


For one T-shaped pier 
Concrete, 424 cu. ft. 
Mixture, 1:2:3% 


Lehigh Cement. 23) ene 11% sacks 
Sand, 14 inch and under...... zy cu. yd. 


Stone, 4 inch to linch ase + cu. yd. 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 81 


v 





ee 00TING 2 « 


Beveled 2”x4” set into footing, when withdrawn, provides keyway 


Foundations 
OUNDATIONS for buildings, whatever their 
type or purpose, should extend below the frost 

line to eliminate the possibility of movement due to 
frost action. 

Attention must be given to the nature of the soil 
upon which the building is to be erected. The table 
given on the next page will be useful in determining 
whether or not the foundation will be firm. Settle- 
ment must be guarded against, and to this end deter- 
mine the bearing value of the soil at all parts of the 
foundation. Where soft spots occur they may be 
bridged by the use of reinforcement near the bottom 
of the footing concrete. 

Spread footings are essential in practically all cases, 
for they add greatly to the stability of the structure, 
and in the building of basements they provide a shelf 


82 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


upon which to lay the concrete floor. In the erection 
of wall forms they provide a firm and even base upon 
which to work, and by the use of dowels or keyways 
firmly anchor the base of the wall in place, this giving 
ample insurance against springing walls under pres- 
sure from without. 

A simple method of firmly anchoring the wall to 
the footing is to set one man rocks into the footing, 
permitting them to project above the footing line; 
then, when the walls are poured, the concrete will 
envelop the upper half of the rocks and make a 
definite key and bond with the footing. 

Another method is indicated in the sketch. A two 
by four slightly beveled is set into the footing con- 
crete and later withdrawn, providing a substan- 
tial keyway, which is filled with the pouring of the 
wall concrete, thus making a tight joint and strong 
bond between the wall and footing. 


BEARING CAPACITY OF SOILS 








Safe Bearing Power in Tons 
per Square Foot 


Soil 
Minimum Maximum 

Rock, the hardest, in thick layers in 

native bed .<.. . 7.4.2) aa 200 = 
Rock equal to best ashlar masonry... . 25 30 
Rock equal to best brick masonry..... 15 20 
Rock equal to poor brick masonry.... 5 10 
Clay in thick beds, always dry....... 6 8 
Clay in thick beds, moderately dry..... 4 6 
Clay, soft..0c0. vas a4) sae 1 v4 
Gravel and coarse sand, well cemented . 8 10 
Sand, dry, compact, and well cemented . 4 6 
sand, clean, dry... ..222 6 pee 2 4 
Quicksand, alluvial soils, etc.......... 0.5 1 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 83 


General Notes on Form 
Construction 


N THE construction of forms for concrete the 
primary considerations are watertightness, rigid- 
ity, strength, and salvage value. 

Experience has proved spruce to be a most accept- 
able and satisfactory lumber for this sort of work. 
For very careful work, such as ornamental concrete 
and other small forms, white pine is recommended. 


SAE 


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84 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


Norway and Southern pine also may be used with 
good success. Hemlock, which is so readily available 
everywhere, does not prove satisfactory, as it splits 
very easily and has a tendency to curl. On all form 
work it is advisable to provide sheathing surfaced 
one side and one edge (S1S1E), at least, as it is 
much easier and faster to work with and presents a 
much smoother and tighter surface to the concrete. 
Shiplap, or tongue and grooved lumber, is highly 
desirable in making the form watertight and in 
rigidly maintaining correct alinement. Studs should 
be set opposite to each other to facilitate the wiring of 
the form and must be spaced close enough to prohibit 
any bulging or weaving in the form line. It is seldom 
advisable to space studding more than 18 inches 
apart when using 1 inch sheathing. 

Spreaders cut the exact width of the wall are used 
in spacing the two forms, and wire (usually No. 9) is 
run through the walls and about the studs; these are 
twisted until tight, which brings the entire form into 
position. It is impossible to set any hard and fast 
rule for the spacing of the wire ties, but it is seldom 
advisable to spread them further apart than three 
feet in either direction. 

Nails should be used sparingly, and should not be 
driven completely, for by leaving them out a bit they 
may be easily pulled when dismantling and salvaging 
the form lumber. 

Crude oil applied to the face of the forms greatly 
facilitates their removal and serves to preserve the 
lumber. Oil must not be used, however, on the forms 
of walls which will later be plastered, as it will make 
impossible a satisfactory and permanent bond. 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 85 


In all cases where oil is not used the forms should 
be well soaked with water just prior to placing the 
concrete. 

Immediately after their removal forms should be 
scraped free of all concrete, for while it is compara- 
tively green this is not a difficult matter, and by so 
doing the lumber is made available for other work. 

Forms that are built in sections for standard work 
should be very strongly built of well-seasoned lumber, 
preferably tongued and grooved. The nails should be 
securely driven home and holes should be bored big 
enough to permit pulling the tie wires through with- 
out mutilating the lumber. 

In butting sections together it is well to use bolts 
and washers, this method will insure correct aline- 
ment and eliminate unsightly offsets in the finished 
work. 

The forms should be serviceable for a great many 
jobs, if ordinary care is used in handling and storing 
them. After the work has been completed the forms 
should be carefully removed, thoroughly cleaned and 
repaired, after which they should be oiled and stored 
under cover, if possible. 

Steel forms, which are used a great deal for concrete 
work, can be purchased ready to use equipped with 
pins and braces for their erection. These are very 
durable and will last indefinitely if properly cared for. 

They should be cleaned and oiled after each instal- 
lation and when being stored. They should be 
sheltered from the weather to prevent rust. 

The table on next page will be found useful in com- 
puting the board feet required in material for forms. 
Lumber is usually priced per 1,000 F.B.M. One 


86 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


F.B.M. is a one-inch board one foot long and twelve 
inches wide, or a two-inch plank one foot long and six 
inches wide. 


TABLE OF BOARD FEET FOR VARIOUS SIZES>0F 


LUMBER 

Size of Length of Piece in Feet 

eh opr Patival labia my 16 18 20 22 24 
ix2 | 1%| 2) ole) aoe OWA RIEL Fl el 
ix Gs ies ees 4 5 bees. 
1x40] 31644 42g ee 641. 71461...8 
ix5 | 414] 5 | 58 | 632) ogee ee 
1x 6 5 6 10 11 12 
ix 8 | 636|-8 | 9141 10381 408 eee tee et eet 
1x10 | 814| 10] 1124) 13341] 15 4) 1622 ee eu 
1x12 10 12 | 14 16 18 20 22 24 
ixi4 11126] 14 | 1614] 1934] 9109) 93bcosaeeees 
1x16. |1314| 16 | 1834] 21141 94 lp 6ae oan ees 
dx 4 | 636| 8 | 934191036 1:10 edo te ae tei 
2x 6 10 L2Arett 16 18 20 22 24 
2x 8 |1314| 16 | 18361 2116 | O49) 2oee oe ete 
2x10 1624] 20 | 2314] 2624] 30 33144| 3624] 40 
2x12 20 24 | 28 32 36 40 44 48 
9x14 | 2314] 28 | 3236] 8714 1d oes ee eee 


8x12 | 80 96 | 112 128 |144 | 160 176 192 





- crete. 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 87 


Making Good Concrete 
By J. C. PEARSON * 


T THE Cement Centennial in 1924 somebody 
called Portland Cement the ‘‘Magic of Con- 
” It’s not far from the truth when you stop 
to think about it. Limestone and shale are ground 
together to the fineness of talcum powder, run into 
an enormous rotating kiln, where the mixture is 
burned at hell-roaring white heat until it forms a 
new chemical substance, discharged from the kiln 
as a hard clinker, and finally ground again to a gray 
powder—the finished cement. The making of cement 
is not a simple nor a small scale process—at all stages 
of its manufacture it is under close chemical and 
physical control and a plant to make it costs at least 
a million dollars. Yet in hardly any section of the 
country does the material cost as much as a cent a 
pound, and it will set into a hard, stone-like mass 
when mixed with a little water and six to eight times 
its own weight of sand and gravel. Because cement 
will stand a lotof abuse, there isa tendency for users 
to think of concrete merely as a mixture of cement, 
aggregates, and water, and let it go at that. 

It is the purpose of this little talk to mention some 
of the things that are involved in making good.con- 
crete and avoiding poor concrete. It won’t interest 
the technical expert nor the large contractor par- 
ticularly, but it may hopefully be of some use to 
the contractor or builder who doesn’t have a large 

* For six years before he became associated with the Lehigh Portland 


Cement Company Mr. Pearson was Chief of the Cement Section of the 
United States Bureau of Standards at Washington. 


88 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


organization and who must depend upon his own 
knowledge and experience to plan and execute the 
work he undertakes. 

Of all the concrete troubles that can be traced to 
materials, the great majority are usually related in 
some way to poor sand. This matter of sand is so_ 
important that it is hard to understand the general 
indifference among concrete men regarding this par- 
ticular material. Fortunately for our purpose here, 
it is easier to specify what a sand should not be than 
exactly what it should be, and we believe that the 
simple tests described in this book, which every con- 
tractor can use to his great advantage, will serve 
either as a safeguard against bad sand or as a warning 
against questionable sand. 

Sand may be unsuitable in three respects: 

1. It may be too fine or otherwise poorly graded. 

2. It may contain dangerous organic matter. 

3. It may be too dirty. 

The gradation of a sand is perhaps its most im- 
portant characteristic in relation to its concrete- 
making value. The usual limits for fine and coarse 
sands are described and illustrated on pages 103 to 
105 of this book. A simple recommended test which 
any one can make to judge the gradation of a sand 
is as follows: Sift a handful of the dry sand on a 
No. 30 sieve. If the sand is a first-class concrete 
sand, this sieve will divide it into, roughly, equal 
parts, the larger fraction being retained on the sieve. 
If most of the sand passes through the sieve, it is too 
fine, and if nearly all is retained on the sieve, it is 
too coarse. A No. 4 sieve can also be used to ad- 
vantage in case the sand contains any appreciable 





ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 89 


amount of gravel, or in case pit-run material is 
being tested. It is customary nowadays to designate 
sand particles coarser than a No. 4 sieve as gravel, 
and the No. 30 sieve should be used on the sand 
after the gravel has been removed. 

While the gradation of a concrete sand was said 
to be its most important characteristic, the presence 
of organic compounds may be a very serious matter 
in extreme cases. This is a contamination which 
comes from the slow leaching of water through de- 
composed overlying vegetable matter, which results 
in coating the sand grains with an invisible trace of 
a substance that may interfere seriously with the 
proper setting of the cement. A method of detecting 
and roughly measuring the quantity of organic matter 
in the sand has been developed in the so-called 
‘“‘colorimetric’’ test, which is fully described and 
illustrated on pages 100 to 101. This test, like the 
others here recommended, serves primarily as a warn- 
ing that the sand may be unsuitable, but, generally | 
speaking, a very light color means a safe sand, and 
a dark color a dangerous sand. 

By dirty sand we mean a sand which contains 
considerable quantities of clay, silt, or foreign matter, 
such as leaves, chips, etc. If the dirt is confined to 
clay and silt, it may or may not be harmful, depend- 
ing upon its quantity, and also upon whether it forms 
a hard coating on the sand grains or not. Accord- 
ingly, a limit of 3 per cent by weight of the sand is 
usually specified as the permissible amount of ma- 
terial that may be removed by washing. The field 
test is a simple volumetric test made as described 
and illustrated on page 102. This test needs no other 


90 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 








equipment than that required for the colorimetric 
test described in the foregoing paragraph. 

Passing on now to the materials that are commonly 
used as coarse aggregates, it is comforting to know 
that where such materials as gravel, crushed stone, 
or crushed slag are furnished separately to a job 
(that is, not mixed with fine aggregate), they are in 
most cases safe and satisfactory, provided, of course, 
they are hard, clean and free from foreign materials. 
Cinders, however, are always a questionable aggre- 
gate, and there is no general guide by which one can 
judge their quality, except possibly by previous 
experience or by making up test blocks in the pro- 
portions which are to be used. In general, the use 
of cinders for concrete exposed to the weather is not 
recommended. Good cinder concrete is not very 
often found out-of-doors, for if it contains enough 
cement to be durable, it is not economical. Please 
understand that these statements do not necessarily 
apply to cinder concrete blocks manufactured under 
well-controlled plant processes nor to special uses of 
cinder concrete where’*quality is assured by suitable 
tests. 

As stated above, clean coarse aggregates when 
delivered separately to the job are rarely a source of 
trouble in concrete work. But some caution must 
be exercised in the use of bank-run gravel or crusher- 
run stone. In the case of bank-run gravel, dirt and 
contamination are more likely to escape notice than 
in the separated sand and gravel. The proportion of 
fine material to coarse is very often too large, and 
always more or less variable, tending to give weak 
and non-uniform concrete in lean mixtures. In 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 91 








crusher-run stone or in stone screenings the fines 
usually contain an excess of dust, which tends to 
stick to the larger particles, and if this coating of 
dust is not thoroughly removed in the mixing process, 
a weak bond between cement and aggregate results. 
On the other hand, if crusher-run stone or stone 
screenings has the dust removed by washing or 
otherwise, there may be a Jack of sufficient fine 
material, so that harsh, watery mixtures result from 
their use, giving pockety, non-uniform, and porous 
concrete. 

This quality of harshness, so characteristic of 
stone screenings, makes it difficult to produce good 
concrete without an excess of cement over what 
would be required for well-graded sand, and there- 
fore an admixture of fine sand with clean stone 
screenings makes a better and safer aggregate than 
crusher-run screenings alone. 

This brings us to some of the finer points in the 
art of making good concrete, about which something 
ought to be said because there is evidence, from the 
appearance and condition of many jobs, that builders 
are too often inclined to decide upon a certain pro- 
portion of cement, sand, and stone as being strong 
enough for the job and then going ahead without 
regard to what the mixture looks like or feels like 
or behaves like when the concreting is started. Here 
is where a good concrete man draws upon his real 
knowledge of concrete, where he needs to know some- 
thing not covered in specifications, and which he 
can know only from his own training and experience. 
A good concrete mixture, whether lean or rich, must 
be such that it will go into the forms and fill them 


92 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


without excessive labor in puddling or spading. We 
put the word fill in italics because we mean that the 
forms should be filled with concrete and not with 
air-holes and pockets. If the mixture is not well 
graded from cement to coarse aggregate, it will not 
fill properly, and no amount of water will correct this 
fault. What a concrete mixture needs to fulfil this 
requirement is a certain degree of plasticity or work- 
ability, a property which is hard to define, but one 
which we can illustrate in the following way: Sup- 
pose we make up a concrete mixture by starting with 
a rich bricklayer’s mortar and adding to it gradually 
some coarse aggregate. At the start we have the 
mortar alone, which is very plastic and workable; 
it spreads easily, it can be made to fill any kind of 
a mold with little effort, and the water does not tend 
to separate from the mass. As we add the coarse 
aggregate these qualities become less marked; the 
mixture becomes harsher, it spreads less easily, more 
work is required to put it into a mold without leaving 
air-pockets, and the water tends to separate from 
the other ingredients. As a rule, this addition of 
coarse aggregate cannot be carried beyond a pro- 
portion of two volumes of aggregate to one of mortar 
without overloading the mixture and cutting its 
plasticity or workability below what is required for 
good concrete. On this account concrete proportions 
have almost always been required to have at least 
half as much fine aggregate as coarse, e. g., 1:2:4, 
1:24:75, etc: 

This is hardly satisfactory in present-day practice, 
however, because such aggregates as crushed stone 
and crushed slag require more mortar to “‘carry” 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 93 





them than a rounded aggregate, and a poorly graded 
aggregate of any kind requires more mortar than a 
well-graded one. Further than this, the stone- 
carrying capacity of a mortar depends not only upon 
the richness of the mortar, but also on the gradation 
of the sand in the mortar. Every one who has mixed 
and handled concrete knows that coarse sand or 
stone screenings make harsh working mixtures. 

We cannot specify a definite procedure that will 
insure good concrete mixtures under all circumstances. 
This depends upon the peculiarities of the aggregates 
available. But when a mixture will not go into place 
with a reasonable amount of effort and fill properly, 
there is something wrong with it, and some adjust- 
ment is needed. For this purpose admixtures of 
hydrated lime and other fine powders are sometimes 
used, or the desired improvement may be brought 
about by increasing the quantity of sand. The 
disadvantage of using admixtures is that additional 
material has to be delivered to the job, and pound 
for pound they cost more than cement. The ad- 
vantage of using an admixture, therefore, must, for 
economy, be weighed in comparison with the advan- 
tage of using a little more cement, with the further 
thought that an admixture of cement gives added 
strength as well as increased workability. 

One of the most. serious aspects of this lack of 
workability is the very common tendency to com- 
pensate for it by increasing the amount of mixing 
water. One of the most noticeable characteristics 
of harsh mixtures is that the water separates readily 
from the mass, and when this happens to any mix- 
ture, either in wheeling or placing in the forms, it is 


94 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


a safe bet that the mixture is too wet. The improve- 
ment in workability by adding excess water is ap- 
parent only, for segregation of the aggregates is 
thereby increased, and while the concrete may 
appear to go into the forms more readily, it goes in 
less uniformly, and we have in the finished product 
all the characteristics of poor concrete. 

We have said nothing thus far about the well- 
known and well-advertised effect of excess water 
in reducing strength. Countless tests have shown 
that the amount of water in a concrete mixture over 
and above what is actually required for proper hand- 
ling detracts much more from the strength than leaving 
out the same amount of cement. In other words, the 
very common practice of overwetting mixtures is 
equivalent to throwing away some of the money that 
has been paid for good cement. If a mixture lacks 
workability, it cannot be remedied by adding more 
water—this only makes a bad matter worse. 

It does not seem necessary to say very much about 
the time of mixing or the amount of mixing which 
is required in making good concrete. Since one of 
the first requirements of good concrete is that it 
shall be uniform and homogeneous throughout, the 
minimum amount of mixing is naturally that which 
will evenly distribute the ingredients throughout the 
mixture. By the time this condition is reached the 
aggregate will be properly coated with cement. 
However, somewhat longer mixing is beneficial be- 
cause plasticity or workability is thereby increased. 
This is due to the gradual absorption of water by 
the cement particles, a chemical action which con- 
verts the dry cement powder into glue and turns 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 95 


the mixture into artificial stone when the glue has 
hardened. To make this artificial stone of maximum 
strength and durability the cement and sand must 
be thoroughly distributed and fill the spaces between 
the coarse aggregates, a result which cannot be at- 
tained if the mixing and placing operations are 
slighted. 

A talk of this sort would not be complete without 
some remarks on the subject of curing. Probably 
one reason why so little attention is paid to adequate 
curing is that, if concrete gets reasonably hard in a 
few days, so that one cannot scratch it deeply with 
a nail or kick off a corner with his foot, it seems to 
be satisfactory without going to the trouble of wetting 
it or protecting it from sun and wind. This is ex- 
ceedingly poor judgment, because the strength and 
the resistance to wear and all the other desirable 
qualities of good concrete can be increased from 50 
to 100 per cent by taking proper care of a job for a 
few days after it is completed. Again we emphasize 
the fact that cement is a hydraulic material, and 
that the hydration or hardening is helped enormously 
by feeding water to it, especially during the first few 
days and even weeks after being made into concrete. 
If concrete makers everywhere could be made to 
realize that the time to use excess water is after the 
concrete has set and not before, there would be a 
marked increase in the proportion of good concrete 
to poor. The essence of curing is to prevent fresh 
concrete from drying out, and the longer this drying 
out is prevented, the better. It does not matter so 
much how the curing is done, whether it be by leav- 
ing the forms in place, by covering the work with 


96 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


tarpaulins or other protection, by continuous spray- 
ing and wetting, or by a combination of all these 
things—the one object is to keep the concrete from 
drying out for as long a time as conditions permit. 

In conclusion, we should like to make one addi- 
tional suggestion. Every contractor or builder is 
concerned with progress and development in con- 
crete construction and should endeavor to keep posted 
on this subject. If you aren’t in the habit of reading 
books or magazines or articles on concrete, begin now 
to acquire this habit. Write to the Lehigh Portland 
Cement Company for its booklets and publications on 
concrete construction, or ask your dealer to get them 
for you. Subscribe to one or two magazines in the 
concrete field and read them. 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 97 


Concrete Aggregate 


HE term “‘aggregate”’ is applied to the materials 

which are used together with Portland Cement in 
the making of concrete. These materials, sand and 
gravel, or stone, comprise a very large proportion of 
the volume of concrete. This fact alone makes very 
evident the necessity of a careful inspection and selec- 
tion to insure a satisfactory result. 

The general requirements for aggregate are that 
they be clean, rough, dense, hard, durable, and in- 
soluble. The most abused of these is the first men- 
tioned. Sand or stone which to the eye is very clean 
is often quite unfit for use in concrete work, generally 
due to an excess amount of silt or rotted vegetable 
matter. The quality of sand can often be determined 
by conducting a few simple tests, which are explained 
elsewhere in this book. The other requirements are 
equally important, but are not hard to meet in any 
locality. 











Baffle-hoard, . 

2x4 Cleats 
Sideboard 

= Riffles 


Dirty ee i - | 
and sand ; nie ies 


ELEVATION 








= URIS 
Fee pases CI 2, 


98 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 








Aggregate is divided into two general classifica- 
tions, ‘‘coarse”’ aggregate being all material retained 
on a 14-inch sieve and ‘“‘fine”’ aggregate that passing 
through a 14-inch sieve. 

Coarse aggregate is gravel or crushed stone. The 
gravel, pebbles or crushed stone used must be clean, 
hard, tough and graded in size. The strength of this 
aggregate will be reflected in the concrete. 

Fine aggregate is sand. To make concrete of high 
strength requires a well-graded sand in size from fine 
to coarse, as illustrated in plates on pages 103 to 105. 

A fine uniform sand is not to be recommended, but 
the word ‘‘sand”’ frequently suggests this to the inex- 
perienced person. 

The use of a small washing plant, such as is shown 
in the sketch, often makes available sand and gravel 
which, unwashed, would be wholly unfit for concrete. 
Such a plant is inexpensive to operate. It washes 
and grades the material in one operation. 

For purposes of estimate only the following table 
is of value in computing the weight of aggregate. 
Commercial sand and gravel companies usually pro- 
vide information regarding the weights of their par- 
ticular product. 


AVERAGE WEIGHTS OF AGGREGATES 


Pounds per 


Material Cubic Yard 
Sand. siccst)s 0 e8)s vols 0s se 2,700 
Limestone i... «ss. .4.s-4 cele See 2,400 
Granite... sess 0d also «> sales ener 2,500 
Trap rock’)... 3. -..25 2. ase 2,700 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 99 


VOLUME OF CONCRETE FROM VARIOUS MIXTURES 


Quantities of materials given in table below have been meas- 
ured loosely without compacting. 


Materials Volume in Cubic Feet 


Mixture 
Cement in Sand in Stone in 
Sacks Cubic Feet | Cubic Feet Mortar Concrete 





\—= 


bon 


\e 
DN 


oS: 


S| 





ee 
WNDNDN NHR WHR 
iw) 


GIN CONN 
On 
LU oe Se Sa ig Se 


WHY N NFR WHR 
Oi ui qe Go Go: 
Orin BH BW WD. 

Oye Sts Oy \ 4 S 


This table shows very clearly how the sand and 
cement fill the voids in the large aggregate or stone. 
Note that in a mix of 1:2:4, being 7 cubic feet of 
dry material, we get but 41% cubic feet of concrete, 
water and all. In other words, the addition of three 
cubic feet of sand and cement swells the volume of the 
large aggregate but a half a cubic foot. 

This fact makes very evident the importance of 
keeping the water content as low as possible, not only 
because it is a space filler which later evaporates, but 
because of the prime necessity of having the cement 
and sand fill every void in the large aggregate. 

Wet or soupy concrete will frequently result in 
rocky, porous concrete. 


100 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 





The Colorimetric Test 





1 2 


Sand which may be used in less 
high grade concrete important work 


Sand suitable for work requiring 


To determine the presence of organic matter in sand obtain a 
12-ounce graduated bottle and fill to the 44%-ounce mark with 
the sand. Add a 3 per cent solution of caustic soda (one ounce 
of caustic soda dissolved in 32 ounces of water makes a 3 per 
cent solution) until the combined volume of sand and solution 


amounts to 7 ounces. 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 101 





The Colorimetric Test (Continued) 





5 4 
Sand of doubtful quality. Use Sand which should not be used 
only for minor work when no in concrete 


better material is available 


Shake thoroughly for a few minutes, and let stand for twenty- 
four hours. At the end of this time observe the color of the 
liquid above the sand. This is an approximate test for the 
presence of injurious organic matter in sand. It furnishes a 
warning that further tests of doubtful sand are necessary. 


102 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


ce aa 


Silt or loam should be 
| less than % inch 


2 inches clean sand 





ee cae Ee eT “ 


Test to determine quantity of silt or loam in sand 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 103 














Coarse sand 
Wiil nrake good concrete but will have to be well spaded 


CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK: 


104 





Medium sand 
Imost ideal concrete sand: 


is isa 


Th 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 105 











Fine sand 
Sand finer than this will seldom make good concrete 


106 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


RECOMMENDED PROPORTIONS FOR VARIOUS WORK 


Maximum 
Mixture Size 
Aggregate 

Barn approaches. ©..7, 7... sen gee 114” 
Arbors .r i ok eee Ie? 3 By 
ATCA WAYS 5.502 aa ec ee 1:214:4 11%” 
Bins 5.1.35 0 Gea eee 1233 11%” 
Boiler settmys fee ee 1:2:4 ae 
Catch basinSso.0) 62. eee 12233 1144” 
Cellars ei. cea ee Be ee 1:2:4 14” 
Cisterns “<,: guna set Is233 5 fl 
Cold frames .. 3)... .2 2.5 1 1d 
Courts—tennis and croquet...... 1:2144:4 1%” 
Curbsec ace 1e224 11%” 
Dippitig, vats... cee eee 1:2:3% 114” 
Drivewayss.5 00> eee 1:24%:4 114” 
Engine béds.) 22. 5,055 ec 1:2:4 2 
Fence: posts...) viv :-seee eee 12293 14” 
Plgors 6. ook 3 fale 1:24%:4 14” 
Floors; reinforced) (4.0 .coee eee 203 4 
Foundations—(mass)........:08) 1224-3 mi 
Gutters): 20 ke ie eee 1:214:4 114” 
Hog wallows........) 5 33 dee 2 
Hotbeds... oi eee ee 1:214%:4 iy 
Pavements 1.04 25 4 1:2:3% 2%” 
Piers, hous@. 252. 15..3 2340. 1:2:4 tad 
Ratproofing 22>. 3 ee 13224 is 
Retaining walls 7.3.3 Gace 1:2:3% 114" 
Roads 20... 400) (ee ee 1:2:3% 2%” 
Roofs... 2S. 4a ee eee Le 11%” 
Runways: : sca. se oe ee 1:214:4 114” 
Sidewalks’.; . 0. 2s... 24.5 ee 114” 
Steps and stairways... .. 2.5 see 1:244:4 i’ 
la bss iaiwa cake Se) ae er 12259 11%” 
Septic tanks 7)... 3. 4a 1:2:3 i hes 
Stuceé 2s8 i 2p a Ge les yy" 
Tanks a0 ger a os ene 12225 Ae 
Tree'surgery;. #3 59 13 14” 
‘Troughs, water. 5.2... 2.0 dis 2a ile 
Wallse.2 8 OG 1:2:4 1%” 
Walls subjected to moisture...... 12233 114” 


These mixturés are suggested as correct under 
norimal or average conditions. 


107 


ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 




















L6°0 8r0 90°T £6°0 LvV'0 cO'l c6'0 9r'0 101 ¥3°0 cro c6'0 Oreah 
68°0 tS'0 aval L380 cS'0 iam! $3°0 TSO Ie |! 820 Lv'0 £0'T CET 
08°0 09°0 cet 8L°0 8S°0 8c'l LL‘0 8S°0 971 cL‘O cs'0 ST'T Gel 
96°0 8r'0 9c'T c6'0 970 aa | 160 9or'0 OT £8°0 cr0 orl Si 4gct 
16'0 TS‘0 eel 88°0 60 67'T L3°0 8F'0 LEY 08°0 +F'0 OTT | ARM 
L8°0 $50 cyt 3°0 £S°0 Soap c8'0 cs'0 cer SLO Lv'0 vor FAG 1 
£0°T 6£°0 come 86°0 6£°0 6c 1 L6'0 6£°0 Lot 63°0 9¢°0 Lal Sega! 
£6°0 Lv'0 SSar 06°0 cv'0 svt 68°0 tV'0 OFT T8°0 1r'0 bet eG 
83°0 0s 0 99'T $8°0 6r'0 19'T £8°0 8r'0 A ' LL0 vr'0 trl AS et 
T8°0 tS'0 BLT 6L°0 €S°0 cL LL‘0 cs'0 OL T £10 LvV0 ST SAGs 
638°0 Sv'0 96'T L8°0 £v'0 06'T 80 cv'0 cst 820 6£°0 Ea aU 
86°0 £¢°0 OTC 96'0 ce0 On? 60 T¢e0 90°7 938°0 6c'0 68'T roe aS 
c6'0 LEO We 68°0 9£°0 PEC 0L°0 seo 67°C 08°0 ce0 OV? AT UT 
£3°0 1v'0 CLC 08°0 OVO £9°C 820 6£°0 LSC vL0 se0 O£°C Caet 
d}aINUOZ) 
” ” a9: 90°T 6£°C ” ” ” ” TOT SEC o:T 
m " ” TOT bls ee 96'0 09°72 oy 
5 * ¢6'°0 Lee 1” a ty 06°0 coe Gal 
” ” ” : 93°0 L8°¢ Po nA | ap 03°0 19°¢ Pitt 
pues} osteo 3)UIS() ZL'0 883° pues ou |AIoA SUIS] -) 99°0 StF T:T 
IeVIOPL 
9u0}S pues | quaurag | 2407S pues | yuaurag | 2407S Pures | yuauiag | 2403S pues | quam 
pIeA PVA, sleepeare |). P2eA PICA | spose | R284 PIPA | sjauseg | P28” PIeA | sporreg 
s1qn)d s1qn) o1qn) sIqn)D orqn) s1qn) s1qn) sIqn) oIN}XIJT 
INO 9u0}jS [[eUIS ASOT 3no ysNnq nO 3sNq JaAvIy ,% 
2u0ys ,%4Z aus 447 9u0}7§ 4] | 





ALAYONOD GNV YVLYOW AO GUVA OIGND TI YOA GANINOGAA STVIVALVN 


108 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


Reinforcing Steel 


ORK requiring the extensive use of reinforcing 

steel, such as columns and floor slabs, should be 
designed by a competent engineer or architect. His 
services will assure correct design and remove the 
danger of failure due to insufficient or misplaced rein- 
forcing material. 

Steel is always sold by the pound or ton, and the 
data given will assist in determining these amounts 
and facilitate the purchase in accordance with the 
quantities as shown on the plan of the proposed work. 

In the table below are given the areas and weights of 
square and round bars used for reinforcing steel. 
Square twisted bars which are used extensively have 
the same weight as straight-square bars. 


AREAS AND WEIGHTS OF REINFORCING STEEL 


Round Bars Square Bars 

Size 
Inches Area Pounds Area Pounds 
Square Inches Per Foot Square Inches Per Foot 
yy 0123 042 .0156 053 
yy 0491 167 .0625 213 
36 1105 376 .1406 478 
i 1963 668 .2500 850 
54 3068 1.043 .3906 1.328 
34 4418 1.502 .5625 1.913 
i 6013 2.044 .7656 2.603 
1 7854 2.670 1.0000 3.400 
1% 9940 3.380 1.2656 4.303 
14% 150272 AAJ 2 1.5625 Solo 
134 1.4849 5.049 1.8906 6.428 
1% 1.7671 6.008 2.2500 7.650 
154 2.0739 7.05% 2.6406 8.978 
134 2.4053 8.178 3.0625 10.413 
1% 2.7612 9.388 3.5156 11.953 
Zz 3.1416 10.681 4.0000 13.600 








ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 109 
MASONRY 
Weight in Weight in 
Kind Pounds per Kind Pounds per 
Cubic Foot Cubic Foot 
Concrete, cinder... - 110 Mortar rubble, sand- 
Concrete, stone..... TAN TosISO) estone 2. 0... 130 
Concrete, reinforced Mortar rubble, lime- 
SCORE: egies: 150 SLOUG. Se eee. 150 
Brick masonry, soft. 100 Mortar rubble, gran- 
Brick masonry, com- ieee ag Pe ed 150 
ions Saks 65 ck. 125 Ashlar sandstone. .. 140 
Brick masonry, Ashlar limestone. . . 160 
resseas fs. ss 140 = |Ashlar granite...... 165 
WEIGHTS OF MATERIAL 
Weight Weight, 
Substance Bae tees Substance peat: 
Foot Foot 
ASHLAR MASONRY VARIOUS BUILDING 
Granite, syenite, gneiss} | 165 MATERIALS— (Con- 
Limestone, marble ...| 160 tinued) 
Sandstone, bluestone..| . 140 |Cement, Portland, set.| 183 
Lime, gypsum, loose. .| 53-64 
D Se MOTtAr ASL oh tien oi 103 
i ae : Slags, bank slag...... 67-72 
Granite, syenite, gneiss}. 130 |Sjags, bank screenings.| 98-117 
Limestone, marble....| 125  |Sjags, machine slag. .. 96 
Sandstone, bluestone..| 110 |Slags, slag sand... 49-55 
BricK MASONRY 
Pressed. brick. ...... 140 EARTH, ETc. 
Commion brick....... 120 EXCAVATED 
tye) 0) aie na 100 Cpe Gisae Ae 63 
Clay, damp, plastic. eo) 2a) 
CONCRETE MASONRY Clay and gravel, dry. .| 100 
Cement, stone, sand...) 144 — learth, dry, dose .2..°. 2b? ° 7& » 


Cement, slag, et¢..32,. .) °, 130 


Cement, cinder, eté....| “100 
VARIOUS BUILDING | > "°° - 
MATERIALS wee 
Ashes, cinders........ 40-45 
Cement, Portland, 
loose . 90 


‘Earth, ary, packer... |  Q5 
Earth, mMOist, loose. es : 





Earth, moist, packed... 96 
Earth. mud, flowins. .21 22108 
Earth, mud, packed: . || Ned aie 
Riprap, limestone..... $6-115 
Riprap, sandstone. ... 90 
Rigtapssialese .. 224 aL Ue 


110 CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


WEIGHTS OF MATERIAL— (Continved) 





Weight, Weight, 
Substance neue Substance Cube 
Foot Foot 
EarTH, Etc , ExcaA- TIMBER, U. S. SEA- 
VATED— (Continued) SONED— (Continued) 
Sand, gravel, dry, Fir, easterti, =.) essa 25 
loOS@: o2aee eee te 90—105]Hemlock............ 29 
Sand; gravel, dry, Hickory.ce haope ee 49 
packeds:2.. -eaLcee.. 100—-120|Locust] ee eee 46 
Sand, gravel, dry, wet .|118-120|Maple, hard......... 43 
Maple, white... -) .- <8) 
STONE, QUARRIED, Oak, chestnut ore ta), 32 ate eae 54 
PILED Oak, liven 2s Shox ec © 59 
Basalt, granite, gneiss . 96 Oak, red, black....... 41 
: Oak, white >. 4" 46 
Limestone, marble, Dire 32 
quartz Ry tpaaetes aes nist 95 Pine. red 8 i oe eens 30 
SaAndstonel a. anes 82 Pins ashitel nn eee 6 
Shale eho: ety ied Ne neuen! de) 6) @ Oe 92 Pi u ll : k coe 3} : a 44 
Greenstone, horn- Be ye bear eats 
; Pine, yellow, short-leaf 38 
blender jee 107 
Poplars.) .4yce eee 30 
Redwood, California . . 26 
TIMBER, U.S Spruce, white, black.. 27 
SEASONED Walnut, black........] 38 
Ash, white-red....... 40 |Walrut, white....... 26 


Cedar, white-red..... 22 {Moisture Contents: 
Chestnut... v7 . oe ae 41 Seasoned timber 15 
Cy press2ce 6252 ae 30 to 20% 

Elm whites. = eee 45 Green timber up to 
Fir, Douglasspruce...| 32 50% 





ON EVERYDAY CONCRETE JOBS 111 


WEIGHTS OF BUILDING MATERIALS 


Weight in 
Kind Pounds per 
Square Foot 


FLOORS 
7%" maple finish floor and 7%” spruce under floor on 
2” x 4" sleepers, 16” centers, with 2” dry cinder 


Oe ec ee ee 18 
Cinder concrete filling per inch of thickness........ 7 
Cement finish per inch of thicknéss............... i 
Asphalt mastic flooring 114" thick. . aero: 18 
3” creosoted wood blocks on 14” mortar base....... 2 
Delete Oni) mortar bed... 6... ee 23 

CEILINGS 
Pee OMI OM CONCTELE ti... ne ek we es 5 
suspended metal lath and plaster................ 10 
ROooFs 

Davey alelteaQeeravel 5 6 Seek ee ee es 
POUR ye eltMIHICLAVEL Sc ee ees 5% 
Weert ete aly POOUN ET. 6 nk eee ew es 1 
Oe ek ea he ee 16 
ttre CE Pr ey 8 ck a ee 9% 





Kind ; ; 
Unplastered | plastered | ‘Plastered 
WALLS 
Oe Drice Wall). ok. os 84 89 
istebrice Walls... a... 121 126 
ISM igre Wall... <> dss< 168 173 
2 2i a lotieie Wall. oe. ase oe 205 210 
VARS OE 243 248 
4” Brick, 4” Tile Backing . 60 65 : 
4” Brick, 8” Tile Backing . 75 80 *e 
9” Brick, 4” Tile Backing . 102 107 a 
MD RIGMRN Peeve re cs x 0 33 38 43 
eee Mere reahan a yes ks 45 50 55 
PARTITIONS 
BO LverPilen ee gical. s 17 Dee 27 
AER AIC Coe, Sie in, von oc 18 23 28 
OMNIA E TLE By iis viens « 25 30 35 
sy Leakey ied ion i een 31 36 41 
POMS E NE eek os srs 5 35: 40 45 
Soucyosum.Biock,....... 10 15 20 
4” Gypsum Block....... 1 Ws 17 pee 
Se Gyosunmblock |, 4...!.. 14 19 24 
6” Gypsum Block....... 16 on 26 





CONTRACTORS HANDY BOOK 


112 

















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